Cong MLAs meet Sonia Gandhi

The proposed split of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) intensified the current infighting within Delhi Congress on Saturday as five of its MLAs met party president Sonia Gandhi to complain about the move.

The proposed split of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) intensified the current infighting within Delhi Congress on Saturday as five of its MLAs met party president Sonia Gandhi to complain about the move.

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Led by Kalkaji MLA and former state Congress chief Subhash Chopra, the group in its half-hour meeting told Gandhi that splitting the MCD would dent the party's chances in civic polls next year.

The group also had Uttam Nagar MLA Mukesh Sharma, Kasturba Nagar MLA Neeraj Basoya, Mustafabad MLA Hasan Ahmed, Timarpur MLA Surinder Pal Singh and former MLA Ashok Singh.

"We also told her (Gandhi) that the matter was never discussed in the party before the government took an in-principle decision to divide the MCD," said an MLA after the meeting.

Sources said top party members including Delhi chief JP Aggarwal have expressed discontent about the move. Most of the 74 Congress councillors in the MCD have also let their reservations known to the state president. The MCD is currently controlled by the BJP.

The Delhi cabinet last week had in-principle agreed to split the MCD into five smaller bodies ahead of the 2012 municipal polls. A committee headed by health minister AK Walia had recommended to the Cabinet the splitting of the civic body.