‘For her, city welfare came before political tiffs’: BJP on Sheila Dikshit

Though the BJP was at loggerheads with the Dikshit government, BJP leaders said they admire the way the three-time chief minister worked.

They have held large protests and criticised decisions taken by Sheila Dikshit during her 15-year-long tenure as the chief minister of Delhi; but BJP leaders admit that Dikshit did not let their political differences come in way of the city’s development.

Former Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit passed away on Saturday. (Raj K Raj / HT Archive)

“Her contribution to Delhi’s development is huge. She didn’t care about political differences when it was about the welfare of people and development of the city,” said Jagdish Mukhi, Governor of Mizoram, and former MLA from Janakpuri. Mukhi was the leader of the opposition in Delhi Assembly between 1998 and 2008.

Recalling a personal experience, Mukhi said that while campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections in 2009, he had promised people of Najafgarh that he will get the Metro connectivity to the area. But he lost the elections. “I went to Dikshit along with residents of Najafgarh and told her that I had promised this during my campaign and stressed on why it is important. She assured me that she will get it done,” Mukhi said.

Though the BJP was at loggerheads with the Dikshit government, BJP leaders said they admire the way the three-time chief minister worked. “She was a charismatic leader and maintained a dignified behaviour in public life,” said Union health minister Harsh Vardhan.

The BJP leaders further said she maintained a balance and ensured a smooth coordination between the Centre and the state when the BJP government was in power at the Centre.

Harsh Vardhan said, “She didn’t let the political differences affect the development of the city. She worked with the BJP-led central government during her first term and completed ambitious projects such as the Delhi Metro.The present dispensation in Delhi can learn a lot from Sheilaji.”

In the recent Lok Sabha elections, Dikshit contested against Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari from North East Delhi constituency, but had lost the elections. “She will be always be remembered for her good works,” Tiwari said.