Dikshit seeks fourth term to continue growth story, attacks Modi

Countering Modi's charge that she failed to solve major problems facing the city, she rolled out statistics arguing that Delhi has done better than Gujarat

Facing a tight triangular contest, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today sought people's support for a fourth consecutive term to continue the Delhi's growth story and charged Opposition, particularly Narendra Modi, with "misleading" voters while asserting that Aam Admi Party will not be challenge to Congress.

In a press conference just before end of campaign for Wednesday's polls, a combative Dikshit chose to attack Modi, countering his charge that she failed to solve major problems facing the city and rolled out statistics arguing that Delhi has done better than Gujarat on many counts such as providing support to weaker sections and social sector spendings.

"The gentleman who claimed Gujarat is the best served state, I have the answers. The Opposition parties are misleading people. They said we have destroyed the city. If it is so then why people elected us for three terms," she said.

Maintaining that the contest will be between Congress and BJP, 75-year-old Dikshit, who led her party to victory in three assembly polls, rejected results of the opinion polls that predicted Arvind Kejriwal's AAP as a major factor in the election.

"The contest will be between BJP and Congress and I am confident of winning the polls for a fourth term," the Chief Minister, who led from the front the Congress campaign, said.

Seeking people's support to continue the "development agenda", Dikshit highlighted her government's achievements in the last 15 years in diverse fields including education, health care, infrastructure, environment and social sector and promised to make Delhi one of the most talked about cities in the world if Congress retained power.

"Either the Opposition parties are naive what they are saying or deliberately trying to mislead people," she said, adding Delhi is considered one of the most comfortable cities in the country.

"But we want to make Delhi one of the most talked about cities in the world. There has been lot of unfinished work and we need people's support to complete them," she said.

Comparing Delhi's performance with Gujarat, she said 19 per cent people in the BJP-ruled state are under severe poverty against Delhi's 3 per cent. On sewerage, she said 96 per cent area in Delhi have the sewer network against 47 per cent in Gujarat.

"In Delhi, we provide Rs 1000-1,500 as monthly pension to vulnerable section like old people and widows while the amount in Gujarat is Rs 200 to 400. Our green cover is much impressive than Gujarat. I expect people of Delhi to understand all these," she said.