CONGRESS WILL GO SOLO IN DELHI: DEVENDER YADAV

Delhi Congress president is optimistic about upcoming Assembly elections as he highlights grassroots revitalisation, commitment to combating corruption.

- TIKAM SHARMA

The Delhi Congress unit is confident about winning the upcoming Assembly elections, and has ruled out any alliance with AAP. The elections are scheduled for February-March next year. In an exclusive interview with The Sunday Guardian, Delhi Congress President Devender Yadav, who took over after former president Arvinder Singh Lovely resigned from the party and joined BJP just before the Lok Sabha elections, Yadav spoke on the party's preparations in the national capital, where they have not won a single Assembly seat in over a decade.

Q: What is your perspective on the current political development in Delhi, with Arvind Kejriwal resigning from the position and Atishi taking over the chief minister's post?

A: This will not make much of a difference, actually. Kejriwal's stance has been exposed. He initially aimed to create a party against corruption, and in that, he succeeded. Over the past 12 years, his party has been very vocal about eradicating corruption, especially while in power. However, various issues have surfaced, with several of his ministers, MLAs, and councillors facing corruption charges, leading to their imprisonment for several months. Kejriwal never intended to step down from his position as chief minister. Although he was forced to resign due to allegations against him, during his time in jail, it was never his plan. Now, with the court restricting him from going to his office and barring him from signing any files, his status has become more of a formality. I don't believe the situation has changed much with Atishi taking over, and it likely won't make a significant difference.

Q: Given that Congress has lost much of its cadre in Delhi, what efforts are being made to revitalise the party's grassroots support?