‘Maya must decide if she wants to be with Cong’

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati should make up her mind on whether she wants to fight the Congress or be with it...

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati should make up her mind on whether she wants to fight the Congress or be with it, senior party leader and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said on Friday.

Addressing women Congress workers on the eve of the International Women’s Day here, she said a decision in this regard had to be taken by Mayawati. On whether the Lok Sabha elections would be advanced and held this year, Dikshit said: “There are no positive indications in this regard. This is everybody’s guess.”

To a question if Rahul Gandhi was being groomed to be the party’s prime ministerial candidate, she said the whole party was behind him. “But this is kite-flying by the media,” she added.

On the comments of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray and MNS leader Raj Thackeray on ‘Marathi Manoos’, Dikshit said: “This country belongs to everyone. If they are talking parochial politics, they are not right.”

On CPI leader A B Bardhan’s views that the US was “blackmailing” India on the Indo-US deal, Dikshit said: “I do not think the US is trying to blackmail India. None can oppose the Congress saying it was ‘bowing’ to pressure from the US.” Asked why the Left parties were against the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal, she shot back “ask them”.

“They have to answer to the people. I do not know their intention. Is there an intention to bring the communal forces back?” she said.

When asked about Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s recent re-election despite being labelled “communal” by the Congress, Dikshit said: “Modi turned out to be smarter. But that does not mean he is not communal or he is good for India.”

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Admitting that there was factionalism in the Congress in Delhi and Kerala, she said the Congress was a large party and the “only one” which had stuck to its basic principles. On the possibility that Congress could give more seats to women in the coming parliamentary elections, Dikshit said seats were normally given keeping in mind the “winnability factor” of the candidates.

Expressing her personal view, she said all major parties must give women representation on two-thirds of the seats in various posts. “Then they can get trained. Women should be given more roles.”

With Kochi awaiting clearance for the Metro rail project, she said metros were required in all cities of India. “The sooner it (Kochi project) is implemented, the better. The Metro is doing a lot to Delhi. It is clean, non-polluting and a solution to the ever increasing demand for public transport,” she added.