With new leadership, Congress in Delhi looks to take on AAP, BJP

With a fresh set of working presidents and a new chief to look after the party's Delhi affairs, the all-enthused Congress in the national capital is looking to give a strong fight to the AAP and the BJP in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

Under former chief minister Sheila Dikshit, the Congress hopes it would be able to revive its fortunes in the city, where it could not even open its account in the last two elections after losing power in 2013.

The three new working presidents -- Devender Yadav, Haroon Yusuf and Rajesh Lilothia -- asserted that the party was going to strengthen itself and would be able to take on both the BJP and the AAP in Delhi.

 

After taking over as the new chief, Dikshit said, "I have no message for the AAP or the BJP. I just want to say that now Congress will be revived."

Yadav, a former MLA from Samaypur Badli and current national secretary in the party taking care of its Rajasthan unit, said that the new team combines experience and youth power.

"We are very well prepared. Delhi congress now combines experience and youth power. We will work as a team. Under the leadership of Sheila Dikshit, I hope we will do remarkable things in coming days," he told PTI.

Yusuf who served as a minister in Sheila Dikshit's government, said the party organisation will be further strengthened.

Lilothia, the national secretary and co-incharge of Bihar Congress, pointed that all the three working presidents have the experience of working with Dikshit in different capacities.

"We have coordination and understanding. I hope unitedly we will strengthen party organisation and win the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and Delhi Assembly elections in 2020," he told PTI.

Dikshit was the chief minister of Delhi before losing power to Arvind Kejriwal's AAP in 2013. The party drew blank in the last Lok Sabha elections and could not open its account in the 2015 Delhi elections. It also performed poorly in the civic polls of 2017.

Ajay Maken who resigned as Delhi Congress president last week citing ill health, claimed on various occasions that the party's vote percentage was up but they were not getting translated into seats.