Tytler’s tactics may get him Cong ticket

Bhagat today saw through the party’s game, but by then it was too late. His supporters stormed the AICC building in the morning, raised slogans against Kesri, Congress and Arjun Singh and returned after damaging Meira Kumar’s office door.

As for Tytler, there is more to it than meetsthe eye, point out observers. The Congress top brass’s hectic brainstorming session last night ended at around 2 a.m. with both Sitaram Kesri and Arjun Singh reportedly agreeing to nominate Tytler. But a small problem remained: How to bypass Bhagat and Sajjan? The trio, going by the party’s public stand, were to be denied tickets because of their alleged involvement in the ’84 riots.

Tytler, it is learnt, wriggled out of the net by arguing that unlike Bhagat and Sajjan who were facing trials in the riot cases, he had not even been named in a FIR, nor was any inquiry or court matter pending against him. But sticking to the argument — the only one he had — is believed to have tilted the scales in his favour.

The part two of the game-plan, according to sources, entails Aggarwal paving the way for Tytler before January 31, the last date of withdrawal of nominations.

For South Delhi, East Delhi, Outer Delhi and New Delhi, the party has fielded Ajay Makan, Shiela Dixit, Deep Chand Sharma and R.K. Dhawan,respectively. Barring Dhawan, and to some extent Jai Prakash Aggarwal (nominated from Chandni Chowk), all other candidates face a daunting task.

Even for the Sadar seat, BJP’s Madan Lal Khurana is being considered head and shoulders above anybody who is eventually fielded against him.

Similarly, Sushma Swaraj of the BJP who apparently enjoys huge popularity in South Delhi is bound to give Ajay Makan — a sitting Congress MLA who has never fought a Parliamentary election before — a run for his money. The same argument goes for Deep Chand Sharma, another first-timer who at one time was the chairman of the MCD standing committee.

Perceived to be close to Arjun Singh — as his election agent, he was once instrumental in his electoral victory — Sharma’s candidature is widely believed to have been cleared by Singh himself.

Former Union Minister Shiela Dixit’s biggest weakness is her constituency itself, claim her detractors. East Delhi voters, most of them residing in jhuggi clusters and resettlementcolonies, stand up for only those who can create a `personal rapport’ with them — be it B.L. Sharma `Prem’ of the BJP or H.K.L. Bhagat. With a strong base in Uttar Pradesh, Dixit is hoping to attract a large number of UPwallahs now settled in East Delhi.