Sheila Dikshit gears up for litmus test next month

New Delhi, Mar 7: With the Congress faring badly in the recent elections, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Wednesday held deliberations with her cabinet colleagues on party's preparations for next month's civic polls, seen as a test of her popularity and the government ahead of assembly polls.

Sources said Dikshit asked her cabinet ministers to put all the hard work to ensure victory for Congress in civic polls for the trifurcated MCD which are taking place in the aftermath of the party's disappointing show in assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, Goa and Punjab.

They said the meeting discussed about the election outcome in the assembly polls in five states.

"A defeat in the polls would definitely affect the morale of the grass root workers ahead of next year's assembly polls," said a senior leader.

Elections to all the three new corporations -- North, South and East Delhi municipalities, carved out of the MCD, will be held on April 15.

The municipal polls are seen as important for Dikshit who had strongly pushed for trifurcating of the MCD despite stiff opposition from a section of the Congress as they had argued that splitting the civic body ahead of polls would badly affect the party.

Dikshit, who had restricted her campaigning to a few meetings in the run up to the 2007 civic polls, has already addressed a couple of rallies to enthuse the grassroots workers The BJP had won the polls in 2007.

The assembly polls in Delhi are due next year.

PTI