Control babus, listen to us: MLAs tell CM

The main grouse of the MLAs was that all their requests and complaints never go beyond the officials around her and the ministers.

Out of total 53 Congress MLAs, six were absent for the crucial pre-Budget meeting to decide the strategy in the House. Prominent among them: Tajdar Babbar, Prem Singh and S.C. Vats.

The four-hour-long marathon meeting took off on a stormy note when MLAs criticised Dikshit and her style of functioning for the first 100 days of the governance.

The tirade, which involved large-scale washing of dirty linen, was led by Congress MLA from Hastsal Mukesh Sharma who complained that the bureaucracy was holding the Government for ransom. “The administration does not listen to us, they do not heed our requests,” he said, adding, “The Chief Minister should have better control over bureaucracy.”

He was joined in the protest by Beesham Shamra, the Congress MLA from Ghonda. The main issue of protest was that the officials were targeting the slums for demolition.

Things got nasty when it came to passing of a resolution congratulating Sonia Gandhi for her able leadership and Sheila Dikshit for her “good governance” in the last 100 days.

It was decided that Deep Chand Bandhu, the veteran Congress MLA from Wazirpur, should move the resolution. Bandhu has been particularly cheesed at being left out of every party position, government post, and even the Delhi Jal Board which he was keen about.

When Chief Whip Mangat Ram Singhal asked Bandhu to speak, he reportedly retorted: “I do not consider you as the authority who can ask me to speak. For me Shielaji is the only leader.” Incidentally, chief whip was another job that Bandhu at one time was hoping for.

The resolution, however, was finally passed by the CLP unanimously.Chief whip Singhal also came in for flak for not informing the members of the CLP on the proposed business of the Budget session of the House.