Dikshit was an architect of modern Delhi: Chacko

Congress's Delhi in-charge P C Chacko said Saturday he was shocked to hear about the death of three-time CM Sheila Dikshit and called her architect of modern Delhi.

"Congress party is grateful to her for her contributions to the party. She is the architect of modern Delhi. People of Delhi will ever remember her as the most outstanding administrator Delhi had seen. My heart felt condolences to her bereaved family," he said in a statement.

Chacko had a difference of opinion with Dikshit on several issues and the fissures between them appeared to widen this week.

On Wednesday, he stated that Dikshit was "not keeping well" and hence he had authorised the three working presidents to hold meetings of district and block committee heads and take decisions. This was seen as an attempt to dilute her powers amid a deepening turf war between the two.

Chacko wrote to Dikshit apprising her of his decision following which she issued an "action note" of her own assigning different set of responsibilities to the working presidents.

The tussle intensified as Dikshit dissolved all 280 block committees and started the process of selecting new block presidents by appointing district and block observers.

In a letter to Dikshit on July 14, Chacko overturned her decision to dissolve the block committees.

The differences between them had surfaced even during Lok Sabha elections when Chacko and former Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken supported an alliance with AAP in Delhi, despite the move being strongly resisted by Dikshit and her followers.

The alliance did not materialise and Congress lost on all seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi.