Delhi Cong rift out in open, Anand writes to Sonia

The South Delhi constituency remained an island of saffron amidst a Congress sweep in Delhi, and the Congress candidate from the seat, well known lawyer RK Anand has decided to take up the reasons for his defeat with party president Sonia Gandhi.

Anand believes that it was the desertion of his party leaders in the state and not VK Malhotra alone who was responsible for his defeat.

In the firing line is former Delhi Speaker Subhash Chopra, an MLA from Kalkaji Assembly constituency in South Delhi. Anand has, in a letter to Gandhi, accused Chopra of conniving with the BJP candidate to ensure his defeat.

Anand has also asked the party high command to punish Chopra by denying him important posts in future.

"I believe Chopra is considering running for the post of Speaker of the Delhi Assembly and should not be allowed to do so," says Anand. Anand lost the Kalkaji Assembly segment to Malhotra by a margin of 5,304 votes.

When it comes to losing margin's, the track record of Delhi Health Minister Yoganand Shastri is no better. Anand lost by a margin of 7,761 votes from Malviya Nagar Assembly segment, represented by Shastri.

Another MLA who is not popular with Anand at the moment is Kiran Walia, representative of the Hauz Khas assembly segment, where Anand lost by a margin of 4200 votes.

However, Anand has not accused them of conniving with the rival camp, instead he believes that the duo were guilty of laxity. According to sources in the Congress, Anand's letter has not gone unheard by the party high command. He has apparently been assured that a show cause notice will be sent to Chopra for this display of indiscipline.

This will come as a piece of bad news for the already down and out Chopra, who has been angling for the post of Delhi assembly Speaker ever since former Speaker Ajay Maken won the Lok Sabha elections from the New Delhi constituency.

Chopra has been increasingly isolated in Delhi politics, more so after Outer Delhi MP Sajjan Kumar and Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit appear to have made up with each other.

The other dissidents against Dikshit Jagdish Tytler has gone to the centre, while Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) chief Chaudhary Prem Singh appear eager to amke a pact with Dikshit and get the Speaker's post for himself.

As of now, the AICC has been too busy with the process of government formation. With that out of the way, it appears that Chopra might be summoned to the party headquarters and asked for an explanation.