New Delhi: For former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Delhi Assembly election, which saw the end of her 15-year tenure, was "unusual and memorable" as people yearned for "change".
"It was an unusual election and a memorable one. There was a desire for change. Whether that desire will be fulfilled, we`ll know in the coming days," 75-year-old Dikshit said at a function today.
On the standoff betwen the Congress and AAP governmenmt on Jan Lokpal Bill, former Chief Minister felt even if the Bill is passed in the Delhi Assembly, it will not get the Presidential assent.
"Delhi is not a complete state. Either way the President won`t sanction it," she said when asked about her views on the bill.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has threatened to resign if his pet anti-graft legislation is not passed by the Assembly due to lack of support from other parties. Kejriwal has refused to take clearance for the bill from the Centre while Congress and BJP have been maintaning that prior approval was necessary.
Asked whether the issue of corruption affected Congress, Dikshit shot back, "Is BJP corruption free? Narendra Modi himself is spending so much on advertising."
The former Chief Minister was speaking at a seminar on `Lok Sabha Elections 2014: Is the political Landscape Changing in India?` at Delhi College of Arts and Commerce.
About Delhi Assembly polls, Dikshit said "AAP made impractical promises in poll campaign".
Queried about Congress` crushing defeat in the assembly polls, Dikshit said "In a democratic setup, 15 years is a big time."
During the interactive session, Dikshit took questions from the audience on a range of issues, including coalition politics, corruption to Kejriwal.
Asked to comment on party colleague Janardan Dwivedi`s remark on reservation, she said "It is in the mind of many people and we have to take a step forward. It needs political thought (reservation)."
The former Chief Minister urged people to "introspect" whether corruption has lessened a bit now.
"I want to ask those who spoke about corruption. Are they any less? Have they introspected?," she asked.
On coalition politics, Dikhsit said it is for the people to decide what kind of government they want. "Coalition governments may not be the best. But we have witnessed three successful coalition governments."
About Congress` campaign in the assembly polls, Dikshit said "In the beginning there was a good response. However, towards the end, you started noticing that the eyes were not warm enough and were questioning. It`s then when you realise that everything is not well."
Noted journalist MJ Akbar also participated at the event.
