NEW DELHI, FEB 5: The seven Congress candidates in Delhi are fighting for Sonia Gandhi's time apart from fighting against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the forthcoming Parliamentary elections. Sonia, the Congress trump card, is scheduled to campaign in Delhi after February 10, according to Choudhary Prem Singh, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) president. ``But she has time to address people in only three or at the most four constituencies in Delhi. And every candidate wants her to address a gathering in his or her constituency. Thus the fight,'' confides a senior Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee leader.Then there is the problem of clearance by the Special Protection Group (SPG). The DPCC has been told to give a list of places where they would want Sonia to address the rallies. ``And then the SPG would decide whether it is safe for her to address a rally there,'' he adds. Choudhary Prem Singh, the DPCC president, says he is trying his best to fix up as many places as possible. ``But within aday or two I will give you a clear picture,'' he says.So far the DPCC has shortlisted Ramlila Maidan, Raja Garden and even the Mangolpuri belt as probable venues for Sonia's rallies. The party candidate from East Delhi, Shiela Dixit's campaign strategy focuses on her proximity to Sonia. Her supporters are all out trying to persuade Sonia to address the people of trans-Yamuna. But highly placed DPCC sources say that so far no place in trans-Yamuna has been decided for Sonia's rally.Another thing worrying the candidates is that voters will know who is close to her on the basis of where she addresses the people. ``And the BJP will also immediately focus their attack on the ignored constituencies,'' says an R K Dhawan supporter trying to further his cause before the rally.The DPCC wants Sonia to campaign for the ``weaker candidates'' and as close to the date of polling as possible. ``There is no doubt that she will have a tremendous impact on Delhi voters. We want it as close to the day of polling aspossible for this would have another advantage. The BJP will not have the time to counter her campaign,'' says another DPCC leader.Supporters of the seven candidates are holding hectic parleys with the party high command for the inclusion of their constituency in the list of venues that has to be given to the SPG well in advance for clearance. The supporters of Ajay Maken, the party candidate from south Delhi, say that Sonia's apology for the 1984 anti-Sikh riots suggests that she would address the Sikhs in Delhi. Around 3,000 Sikhs were killed in the Capital in the massacre that followed Indira Gandhi's assassination. Pandit Deep Chand Sharma contesting from outer Delhi constituency is also keen for Sonia to bolster his chances.
