Sheila unlikely to contest UP elections

Sheila Dikshit, Congress’ Uttar Pradesh chief ministerial candidate and former Delhi Chief Minister, is unlikely to contest in the Assembly elections in the state scheduled for February next year, sources handling the party’s affairs in Uttar Pradesh have said. According to party leaders, the 78-year-old Dikshit, who has been keeping unwell and has not been able to devote herself fully in the political affairs of the state, will be nominated from the Legislative Council if the party is able to muster enough number of seats in the polls next year.

“She can become the CM even if she does not contest the Assembly elections as, then, the party can nominate her as a member from the council. She herself does not want to contest the elections as it would mean that she will have to focus more on winning her own seat rather than on the rest of the state,” a Lucknow-based party functionary said.

Party sources said that Dikshit has conveyed her intention of not contesting the polls to party president Sonia Gandhi, who is yet to take a call on it. Earlier, a certain section within the party was of the view that Dikshit should contest the elections from one of the urban seats of the state like Lucknow or Noida as she had a powerful resume to show the kind of developmental work that she did in Delhi for 15 years. However, as of now, she is unlikely to contest the elections herself, as she herself is not too eager,” the functionary added.