<ul><li>Former Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, passed away earlier today at the age of 81.</li><li>She was admitted to Fortis with cardiac arrhythmia yesterday and put on a ventilator.</li><li>Dikshit has been suffering from cardiac issues since 2012.</li></ul> Senior Congress leader and former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit passed away on Saturday at the Escorts Hospital here, a party leader said. She was 81. "Dikshit died at Escorts Hospital here," Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson Jitender Kumar Kochar told IANS. She was admitted to Fortis on 19 July 2019 complaining of discomfort with was diagnosed as a cardiac arrhythmia. She was put on a ventilator before passing away a day later from cardiac arrest. The three-time Delhi Chief Minister was unwell for some time. In 2012, Dikshit unwent angioplasty and was regularly treated at Fortis Escorts Heart Institute since. In 2018, Dikshit also underwent heart surgery in France at a university hospital. Dikshit's legacy Dikshit served three terms as the CM of Delhi. That's 15 years in office, from 1998 to 2013. In her bitter sweet tenure as the CM, she is attributed for transforming the infrastructure of Delhi with flyovers and initiating the Delhi Metro project. During the 2019 Lok Sabha Election, Dikshit contested from the East Delhi seat but lost out to her Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) counterpart, Gautam Gambhir -- a former cricketer. Political community mourns Dikshit's death The Indian Prime Minister, <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword>, expressed his condolences over Twitter stating that he was 'deeply saddened' by Dikshit's demise. 
	
	<div type="twitter" handle="narendramodi" handlename="Narendra Modi" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1134082549041393672/QbihPzrL_normal.png" favoritecount="16597" retweetcount="3183" status="Deeply saddened by the demise of Sheila Dikshit Ji. Blessed with a warm and affable personality, she made a notewor… https://t.co/PBGVwo0FEp" createdat="1563619972000" id="1152531814155767809"></div>




 The Indian President also shared his views over Twitter calling Dikshit tenure as the CM of Delhi, 'a period of momentous transformation for the capital'. 
	
	<div type="twitter" handle="rashtrapatibhvn" handlename="President of India" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/921303478684790784/FLIFCZxh_normal.jpg" favoritecount="2390" retweetcount="331" status="Sad to hear of the passing of Smt Sheila Dikshit, former Chief Minister of Delhi and a senior political figure. Her… https://t.co/zSEe6jl6Aa" createdat="1563619823000" id="1152531190340997121"></div>





 Congress President, <keyword id="5268" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rahul-Gandhi">Rahul Gandhi</keyword>, got nostalgic expressing how he shared a 'close personal bond' with the former CM. 
	<div type="twitter" handle="RahulGandhi" handlename="Rahul Gandhi" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/974851878860312582/O-Zn2b72_normal.jpg" favoritecount="9160" retweetcount="2020" status="I’m devastated to hear about the passing away of Sheila Dikshit Ji, a beloved daughter of the Congress Party, with… https://t.co/kiLqvdbP9I" createdat="1563621090000" id="1152536506587680768"></div>



 The current CM of Delhi, <keyword id="260213" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Arvind-Kejriwal">Arvind Kejriwal</keyword>, also expressed how Dikshit's contribution to New Delhi with 'always be remembered.' 
	<div type="twitter" handle="ArvindKejriwal" handlename="Arvind Kejriwal" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/945853608389574656/REH_LpUJ_normal.jpg" favoritecount="7905" retweetcount="1207" status="Just now got to know about the extremely terrible news about the passing away of Mrs Sheila Dikshit ji. It is a hug… https://t.co/rqMbBcKZvO" createdat="1563619517000" id="1152529908817522688"></div>



 (with IANS inputs)

Former Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit passes away at 81 — Modi, Kejriwal and Gandhi express condolences

<table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6em; box-shadow: none; width: 427px; font-family: Merriweather; padding-bottom: 10px !important; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"><colgroup></colgroup><col /><col /><col /><col /><tbody><tr><td style="border-width: 0.747071pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 2pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: bottom;">Candidates </td><td style="border-width: 0.747071pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 2pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: bottom;">Party </td><td style="border-width: 0.747071pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 2pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: bottom;">Votes </td><td style="border-width: 0.747071pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 2pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: bottom;">% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-width: 0.747071pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 2pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: bottom;">Manoj Tiwari</td><td style="border-width: 0.747071pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 2pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: bottom;">BJP </td><td style="border-width: 0.747071pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 2pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: bottom;">155443 </td><td style="border-width: 0.747071pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 2pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: bottom;">60.3</td></tr><tr><td style="border-width: 0.747071pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 2pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: bottom;">Sheila Dikshit</td><td style="border-width: 0.747071pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 2pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: bottom;">INC </td><td style="border-width: 0.747071pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 2pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: bottom;">55000</td><td style="border-width: 0.747071pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 2pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: bottom;">21.3</td></tr></tbody></table> Data from Election Commission <keyword id="6361217" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Manoj-Tiwari">Manoj Tiwari</keyword>, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s incumbent North East Delhi candidate, is leading the vote share in the constituency. Congress, on the other hand, has its hopes pinned on <keyword id="39794" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sheila-Dixit">Sheila Dixit</keyword>, Delhi’s former Chief Minister who held her seat for 15 years. But data from the Election Commission shows that Dixit is way behind in the vote count with only 21.3% of the vote share versus Tiwari strong lead with 60.3% of the vote share. Even the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate, Dilip Pandey, only has 14.1% of the vote share to his name. Tiwari is also feeling confident about his win stating that he will come out ahead with a margin of over 200,000 votes while speaking to <a href="https://www.news18.com/videos/india/could-win-by-a-margin-of-over-2-lakh-votes-manoj-tiwari-2156349.html">News18.</a> He also said that the BJP is poised to win nation-wide with a margin of over 350 seats. Dixit, on the other hand, maintains that she will be victorious overcoming the divisions in religion and caste in the constituency.

Manoj Tiwari leads the election from North East Delhi

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/28142598.cms" /> NEW DELHI: Those who were there will always remember the sea of heads with white caps, tricolours fluttering in the winter wind and the sparkle of hope on every <keyword id="6354944" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Aam-Aadmi-Party">Aam Aadmi Party</keyword> supporter's face at the packed Ramlila Maidan on Saturday. For them, it wasn't just a swearing-in ceremony; it was an open-air party of the common folk, a showtime for people's power. 
 And the speech that their <keyword id="19496" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="leader">leader</keyword> <keyword id="260213" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Arvind-Kejriwal">Arvind Kejriwal</keyword>, the new <keyword id="5269" type="POSITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Chief-Minister">chief minister</keyword> of Delhi, delivered after the swearing-in ceremony was no ordinary speech either. For him, this was a "tryst with destiny" moment. And he seemed to be speaking straight from the heart when he declared, "The politics of this country had destroyed everything but in these assembly elections the people have shown that honest politics is possible. Elections can be fought with honesty and won with honesty." The crowd, about 80,000 inside and outside the venue, cheered in approval. 
 Many of them had come from far and wide: Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, <keyword id="6358126" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Himachal-Pradesh">Himachal Pradesh</keyword>, Rajasthan, <keyword id="30033" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Bihar">Bihar</keyword>, Telangana, <keyword id="20154" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="tamil-nadu">Tamil Nadu</keyword> and elsewhere. School teacher Nimma Jairam Reddy, 44, travelled for 28 hours from Medak district in Telangana. "In the past 60 years, the difference between the aam aadmi and the amir aadmi has grown. To end it, traditional politics must die and be replaced with moral and modern politics which Kejriwal represents," he said. 
 
Kejriwal's speech was politically mature, and marked by clarity of thought. He spoke of announcing a phone number in two days – a complaint hotline to catch bribe-givers red-handed. He also assuaged fears of the honest bureaucrat. "Today many people tell me, Arvindji, stay alert, because bureaucracy would not let you succeed. I don't believe this. Over the past few days, I have met some Delhi bureaucrats. I have no hesitation in saying that if some people are corrupt, there are several who are highly upright and want to serve the nation," he said. 
 He also urged his partymen too to stay on the right path. "I request my party ministers, MLAs and workers to never be conceited and arrogant. Our struggle will go waste if our MLAs and ministers become arrogant. <keyword id="6356115" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="AAP">AAP</keyword> was formed to overthrow the arrogant parties and I don't want another party to come up to put an end to our arrogance. Even when our volunteers go to mohallas and colonies, they should be humble since we are desh sewaks. We didn't come here to become chief ministers or ministers but to serve the country and we should never forget that we are sewaks." 
 
The anti-graft activist also spoke about the crushing burden of raised expectations. "Sometimes I am very scared as people have pinned their hopes on us and I pray to God to give us courage and keep us on right track so that we don't commit any mistake." 
 
Towards the end of his speech, Kejriwal urged the crowd to take an oath against bribes. Most joined him in this moment of public engagement in the process to bring about positive social change. 
 S Selvaraj was among those who did. He came from a village near the famous Kolli Malai hills in Tamil Nadu. It was a 72-hour <keyword id="6374782" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="journey">journey</keyword> first by bullock cart, followed by bus and train. "I like his concepts of humility and simplicity in politics. That's why I am here," he said. Others spoke of having taken leave from office, even left behind an ailing child, to be there because it was "an extraordinary day" for them. 
 This looked like a real crowd of party workers and common people; not the paid hordes who often arrive in truckloads at political gatherings. This was also a far more relaxed crowd than what had gathered during <keyword id="57766" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Anna-Hazare">Anna Hazare</keyword>'s fast at the same venue in 2011. 
 
A banner indicated the people's mood: Free hugs for Aam Aadmi, it said. No surprise, some supporters carried posters of the film, Nayak, where the hero becomes a chief minister for a day. But they had replaced Anil Kapoor's mug with Kejriwal's. It was evident he was their rock star. 
 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/28142532.cms" /> 
 Kejriwal, who had trounced <keyword id="39794" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Sheila-Dixit">Sheila Dixit</keyword> in the polls, also took care to name gods of different religions while hailing the win as a miracle (kudrat ka karishma). He thanked "parampita parmeshwar, parmatma, ishwar, allah and wahe guru" for the triumph. Even while paying tribute to late colleague <keyword id="1246005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="Santosh-Koli">Santosh Koli</keyword>, he said, "Hindu dharma says that while the body perishes, the soul is immortal. Today, if Santosh's soul can see us or hear us, it will be happy to know that her sacrifice did not go waste." 
 
The gods seem to be smiling on Kejriwal, in any case. In a week when the national capital was often blanketed by grey, unsympathetic clouds, the sun shone brightly on Saturday. There couldn't have been a better day to attend a political gathering or play Test cricket. 
 
Times View : A beautiful moment for our precious democracy 
 
No one could have imagined at the beginning of 2013, or even six months ago, that Arvind Kejriwal would return to the Ramlila Maidan, two and a half years after Anna's big anti-corruption fast, to take oath as chief minister before the year was out. This has been a peaceful political revolution of epic proportions – and we, as a nation, should feel proud. Kejriwal may be the man of the moment, but this not about him – or any one person. This is about the idea of India. We have been called a flawed democracy, and indeed there are times when a sense of hopelessness takes over; but it's also the flaws that help us appreciate beauty when it shines through. There is no greater beauty on earth than to behold the will of the people be given voice without having to resort to violence. So let us pause for a moment to cherish the precious, and yes imperfect, beauty of our democracy. 
 For Kejriwal, the real challenge – of governance – begins now. He has changed the rules of the game, playing the role of an outsider with consummate political savvy. Whether his 'movement' can go national will depend on how wisely he runs Delhi. It will also depend on whether the <keyword id="1575" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Congress">Congress</keyword>, having extended support, is willing to give him a fair chance. Its decision to boycott the swearing-in ceremony does not bode well for the future. The party that helped give us this beauty we call democracy should know that it has diminished itself by its churlishness. It should also know that a little grace never hurt, even in politics.

The Day Aam Aadmi Had A Party: Arvind Kejriwal Takes Oaths, Hits All The Right Notes

After securing a bail from the Supreme Court on Friday, post spending 5 months in Delhi's <keyword id="20147871" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tihar-jail" source="keywords">Tihar jail</keyword> due to <keyword id="20018877" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="excise-policy" source="keywords">excise policy</keyword> graft case, <keyword id="19914482" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AAP" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="AAP" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="AAP">AAP</keyword> honcho Arvind Kejriwal, in a surprising turn of events, announced his resignation from the post of Delhi's Chief Minister (CM) within the next 2 days. Calling it his Agnipariksha, he vowed only to return when the people of Delhi give him a "certificate of honesty" and "vote him back to power", Kejriwal is set to meet his deputy Manish Sisodia at his official residence at Civil Lines today, and discuss potential names for the next CM. Kejriwal also ruled out any possibility of Sisodia taking his place in the meantime. The move puts a dampener on AAP's plan to pitch Kejriwal as a candidate for Haryana elections, which are slated to take place next month, and for <keyword id="20798453" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Delhi-elections" source="keywords">Delhi elections</keyword>, scheduled for early next year. This will be the first time that Sisodia and Kejriwal will be meeting, ever since Kejriwal announced his decision. Fellow party members Gopal Rai, <keyword id="20276562" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Atishi-Marlena" source="keywords">Atishi Marlena</keyword> and Kejriwal's wife, <keyword id="21054172" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sunita-Kejriwal" source="keywords">Sunita Kejriwal</keyword> are being seen as strong contenders for the position. Upon his release, Kejriwal also demanded that Delhi elections, originally set to be held in February 2025, be preponed to November this year, along with Maharashtra polls. The last assembly elections were held in Delhi in February 2020, where AAP secured 62 seats, and the BJP won on just 8 seats. The current term of the assembly is expiring on February 11, 2025. Many peg Atishi to be the next CM till Kejriwal is re-elected, given she already leads multiple important departments within the Delhi government, which include education, finance, law etc. Along with Gopal Rai, AAP members Kailash Gehlot, Imran Hussain and Saurabh Bhardwaj are also being considered for the position. Sunita Kejriwal, who took the reins of mobilizing AAP and addressing the media in the absence of her husband, will also be a key candidate to watch out for. If Atishi or Sunita assume the post of CM, it will be for the first time in over a decade that the capital will have a female CM, after Sheila Dixit. Notably, Dixit was also Delhi's longest serving CM, holding her office for about 15 years. Kejriwal follows as a close second, holding his office for about 9 years till 2024, ever since assuming the post of CM in 2015.

Sisodia to meet Kejriwal today; Atishi, Gopal Rai and Sunita Kejriwal frontrunners for the Delhi CM post

Data from nine different elections show that Congress can be on the winning side but not the winner

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/46945918.cms" /> <keyword id="5268" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rahul-Gandhi">Rahul Gandhi</keyword> is back! Congress party is thanking its stars that it will not sound clueless any more about the whereabouts of its heir apparent. If my understanding is right, the BJP will perhaps have even more questions for the Gandhi scion than ever before. 
 
The country, most certainly the Congress party, has been waiting for the last 57 days to find out more about the man who has refused to face questions on several issues. His critics argue, often with a valid reason, that he does not have answers to several important questions. 
 
In the past, Rahul has announced his displeasure at the UPA cabinet clearing an ordinance on convicted members of Parliament. It is “complete nonsense” he had said, adding that it should be “torn and thrown away”. He had raised several questions when he made a surprise appearance at that press conference in September 2013. 
 
History seems to suggest that Rahul is good at asking questions. 
 
Here are some of the questions that Rahul may perhaps never ask. 
 
1. I have been away for 57 days on a leave of absence. Only a select few people in the party knew where I had gone for introspection. Did you miss me? 
 
2. Would you want to know what all I have been thinking about over the last eight weeks? 
 
3. Have Kamal Nath and Digivijay, yet again, suggested that I should be elevated as the President of the Congress party? Why, then, are Amrinder Singh and Sheila Dixit, suggesting that there should be no change at the top in the party? 
 
4. We have had the same person lead the party for 17 years. Do you think the time is ripe for a change at the top now? 
 
5. The government has sought to amend the Land Acquisition bill and wants it to be passed by the Parliament. Were my specific views sought on the subject, either in the party or in the Parliament? 
 
6. Congress President Sonia Gandhi led a walk to Rashtrapati Bhavan to protest against the Land Bill. 14 parties presented a memorandum to the President against the Bill. Would my presence have added to the voice of the 43 other fellow Congressmen in Parliament and other political parties? 
 
7. Farmer suicides are now spreading to Uttar Pradesh and it seems the government has not moved much beyond announcing a hike in compensation to the affected farmers. Have I missed out in raising the issue as its impact is now being felt in north India too? 
 
8. I believe that a large number of Valmikis in Uttar Pradesh have converted to Islam to save their homes. Did the Congress party come out in support of them and raise the issue at the state and national level? 
 
9. I believe that some people in the government were trying to snoop on me. Really? Psst… I always knew the impact my presence, or absence, can have on the government! 
 
10. Since I have had an eight-week leave, I feel I am now ready to fight for the Congress party. Would you all want to take leave so that you are charged up too? 
 
Most of us should not be surprised that Rahul will not ask these, and other similar, questions. 
 
A good leader is one who does not ask questions. He is the one who has the answers. 
 
(About the author: This article has been written by Ashutosh Sinha, who is a Delhi-based journalist. Follow him on Twitter @ashutoshsinha00) 
 
(Image credits: www.<a href="http://www.google.co.in/url?sa=i&amp;source=images&amp;cd=&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=0CAcQjB0&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fviwallpaper.com%2Fimages%2Fhd-wallpapers-rahul-gandhi-1557-x-2200-403-kb-jpeg.html&amp;ei=R54vVeXhI8fUuQTBmIGQBA&amp;psig=AFQjCNHxg-SHOmD90GXnk2ULlgJw3Qwnpg&amp;ust=1429270471657960">viwallpaper.com</a>)

You Searched For "Sheila Dixit" and got 6 results

Former Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit passes away at 81 — Modi, Kejriwal and Gandhi express condolences

Prabhjote Gill

Manoj Tiwari leads the election from North East Delhi

BI India Bureau

The Day Aam Aadmi Had A Party: Arvind Kejriwal Takes Oaths, Hits All The Right Notes

Times Of India

Sisodia to meet Kejriwal today; Atishi, Gopal Rai and Sunita Kejriwal frontrunners for the Delhi CM post

BI India Bureau

Data from nine different elections show that Congress can be on the winning side but not the winner

BI India Bureau

10 questions Rahul Gandhi will not ask after his return

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