New Delhi:
Delhi has been without a government for eight months and the Supreme Court today made it clear that it is unacceptable, saying, "In a democracy, President's Rule cannot go on forever."
Former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit speaks on the issue in an exclusive interview with NDTV's Barkha Dutt. Here are the highlights:
- If the Lieutenant Governor is satisfied that BJP can form a government in Delhi and if he has written to the President about it and President has given his nod then give them a chance.
- But you can form a government only if you have a majority.
- No minority government can function
- If they have majority on the floor of the House, let them prove it
- Mr Kejriwal made a government, the Congress gave him support and then he left the government - can't comment on what will be
- Giving Kejriwal support was the right thing to do - politically and otherwise also. What went wrong is Kejriwal's handling
- I can't say for the future but at the moment not personally inclined to come back to Delhi politics
- In life no windows are ever closed completely
- On Narendra Modi: My context was simple - yes he looked very confident and he seemed to have good vision
- When you look at the rest of the interview, I have said there is no visibility of the vision
- What he said then, nothing has come on the ground - have prices come down, have achchedin come - all these are questions people are beginning to ask
- Unless people feel the vision is touching them, I don't feel the vision is a vision
- He is a good communicator, he has some ideas. But as PM you have to change the nice ideas into practices.
- Now people are speaking much more than they're doing
- Congress philosophy has been that do good work and it will speak for itself
- Mrs Gandhi has been a reticent person but under her leadership Congress was revived and won two elections
- Don't intend to throw my hat in the ring at all and we should be able to have elections by the end of the year or beginning of next year
- This is not the first time elections are being held - Sonia Gandhi was elected, PV Narasimha Rao was elected
- Sonia Gandhi is our unchallenged leader and under her leadership we have won two elections