Former Delhi Chief Minister and veteran Congress leader Sheila Dikshit has died at the age of 81. She was unwell for several months.
She had recently appointed three new spokespersons. Dikshit had served Delhi as chief minister for three terms until she lost to Aam Aadmi Party in 2013. She was later projected as the party’s face in the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls in 2017, but the Congress later unceremoniously removed her by forming an alliance with the Samajwadi Party.
The party had fielded her as its candidate in this year’s Lok Sabha polls from North East Delhi’s constituency against BJP’s Manoj Tiwari. But Dikshit lost to her rival by more than three lakh votes.
Condolences have started pouring in after the news of the veteran Congress leader’s sudden demise was made public.
Really bad news coming in – @SheilaDikshit ji passed away ?
— Amrita Dhawan (@AmritaDhawan1) July 20, 2019
Very very sorry to hear that former Chief Minister of Delhi Sheila Dikshit passed away this afternoon. Deepest condolences to her family and the Congress party.
— Smita Prakash (@smitaprakash) July 20, 2019
Shocking news. One of the most dignified politicians of Indian politics is no more. RIP Ma’am. https://t.co/UaHVa9iASU
— Rifat Jawaid (@RifatJawaid) July 20, 2019
The veteran Congress leader suffered a cardiac arrest on 20 July. A statement from Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, Okhla, New Delhi said that the three-term Delhi Chief Minister was brought in the morning on 20 July 2019 to their hospital in a critical condition with cardiac arrest.
Reacting to her death, Delhi BJP President Manoj Tiwari said, “Deeply pained to hear the sad and sudden demise of Sheila Dixit Ji Ex CM Delhi.. May God bless her soul and give her eternal peace.. Delhi will miss you Ma’am, u were a mother figure in my life.”
Soon after his Lok Sabha election win against the late chief minister this year, Tiwari was gracious to visit Dikshit. The BJP MP has canceleld all his engagements for today and tomorrow in view of the former chief minister’s death.
In View of sudden demise of Smt @SheilaDikshit ji all schedule events of @BJP4Delhi State President Shri @ManojTiwariMP remains cancelled for today and tomorrow..
— Neelkant Bakshi (@neelkantbakshi) July 20, 2019
Dikshit was credited with transforming Delhi with a series of ground-breaking infrastructural changes. She was responsible for both envisaging and executing Delhi’s Metro rail project, which brought about a revolution of sorts in how Delhites commute in the city.
The three-term former Delhi CM was also the brainchild behind the construction of Delhi’s ubiquitous flyovers that proved instrumental in easing the traffic congestions in the national capital.
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