Political opponents recall Dikshit's method of dealing with her rivals

Despite being of differing political views, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and state BJP president Manoj Tiwari Saturday shared similar sentiments on how Sheila Dikshit dealt with her political rivals.

She did not consider her adversaries enemies, they said, recalling their last meetings with the three-time chief minister.

Condoling Dikshit's demise, Kejriwal said her sudden death had shocked him.

"Only last month I had met her for nearly an hour when she came with her party's delegation to submit a memorandum on several issues. At the end of the meeting I wished her good health, not knowing that this would be my last meeting with her," he said.

Dikshit had met Kejriwal to raise issues relating to power and water.

"Though we were political rivals and our views were opposite on many issues, I found Mrs Dikshit to be a warm and affectionate person whenever we met.

"I came to know about Mrs Dikshit's health concerns last year, when she wrote to the Delhi government about her requirement for a surgery abroad, which was successful. But I could never imagine that she would leave us so soon," Kejriwal said.

Dikshit, a political heavyweight, was trounced by Kejriwal, then a political greenhorn, in the 2013 Delhi Assembly polls.

Recalling his last meeting with her, Tiwari who defeated the Congress leader from the Northeast Delhi Lok Sabha seat this year, said she had blessed him.

However, her one message, he said, made a lasting impression on him. "She said we may be political opponents but we are not personal enemies," Tiwari said.

"This one line is very important today. I did not know that the meeting, in which he she blessed me, was going to my last meeting with her," the Delhi BJP leader said.

Dikshit never kept anything in her heart for too long, BJP leader Vijender Gupta said, recalling the time when Dikshit had filed a defamation case against him.

"She had filed the defamation case against me, but a few years ago she told me to settle the issue. This reflected her personality of not keeping anything in her heart for too long," he told PTI.

Gupta, who had contested against Dikshit in the 2013 Assembly polls, however, did not elaborate on the defamation suit.