Supriya Shrinate is one of the prominent leaders of the Congress. She is also the chairperson of Congress’ Social Media and Digital Platforms department as well as a member of the Congress Working Committee, the party’s highest decision-making body.

In an interview with Santu Das of The Statesman, she talks about the upcoming Delhi Assembly election, and the work done by the previous Sheila Dikshit-led government in the national capital. She exuded confidence of a Congress win in the polls stating there is strong “anti-incumbency” against the AAP as it had failed to fulfill its promises and called BJP a “non-player”, which has been out of power in Delhi for over two decades.

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Q: The Election Commission has announced the schedule for Assembly elections in Delhi. What are the issues that the Congress would take up in this poll?

A: Delhi is a place that is very close to the Congress party’s heart for multiple reasons. During Sheila Dikshit’s tenure, Delhi was built into a world class city. The kind of infrastructure she built and the way she put Delhi on the world map was quite phenomenal. We have seen a government in Delhi under the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), there has been a lot of publicity and marketing. But, reality is there is precious little that Delhi has got. Delhi has not seen its infrastructure being renewed or rebuilt. On education, Delhi is amongst five or six Indian states which have seen secondary school admission drop. Its health system completely exploded during the Covid pandemic and thereafter. (Arvind) Kejriwal, who resigned as the chief minister of Delhi, used to talk of living like a ‘common man’. The kind of house that he built, the kind of money that was put in there, the kind of practices that one saw in AAP have been deeply disappointing for the people of Delhi. Also, BJP is a “non-player” here because the saffron party has been out of Delhi politics for 26 years. I do not think they understand the aspirations of the people. So, this is an important election for us. We are fighting with a lot of determination. There is a model that we follow across all the states where we are in power, whether it is Karnataka, Telangana, Himachal Pradesh or Jharkhand. It includes welfare schemes, welfare for youth, farmers and women. Similar announcements will be made for Delhi. We have announced Rs 2,500 per month to every woman in Delhi under ‘Pyari Didi Yojana’.

Q: The AAP is confident of retaining power in Delhi. The BJP is also eyeing to form a government in the capital. What is your take on that

? A: This whole attempt to paint it as an AAP versus BJP fight is being done by sections of the media with an aim to benefit the BJP. But the BJP has next to no organisation in Delhi as it has been kept out of power for 26 years. The BJP does not even have a credible chief minister’s face. The BJP has no standing in Delhi. The AAP’s tenure has been over 10 years in Delhi. People are looking for solutions that the party had promised to offer. So, people are worried and there is huge anti-incumbency against it. We have a strong organisation and presence in Delhi. We were in government for 15 years.

Q: Recently, one of the senior leaders from AAP at a presser said they would ask other parties of the INDIA bloc to remove the Congress from the Opposition alliance. What would you like to say?

A: It is a silly argument. The reality is AAP has been found wanting on many issues, whether it is communal ones or corruption. The reality is Kejriwal and his party did not say a word on Bilkis Bano. He sat silently at Raj Ghat when Delhi was burning in riot. The fact is that Kejriwal and BJP have been “shadowboxing” whenever the city is in trouble. Sheila Dikshit was the Chief Minister of Delhi. She was the Chief Minister when Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government was there at the Centre, yet she could do things for the people of Delhi. What is AAP doing? What is BJP doing? The reality is the INDIA alliance is an alliance of like-minded parties. It is an alliance of which the Congress is the fulcrum. This alliance was brought because we believe in the Constitution of this country and equal rights for people. Who are they to tell us whether to remove us or not?

Q: Will the Congress form a postpolls alliance with the AAP?

A: I am reasonably certain that the Congress will be in a very powerful position once the elections are over. The contest is between the Congress and the AAP. Q: Who will be the Chief Ministerial face in Delhi? How many seats is the Congress eyeing? A: The Congress never declares a face. The Congress MLAs sit down together. The Congress Legislative Party decides who their leader will be. We are hoping for a good show in Delhi. Q. The AAP has been accusing the BJP of failing to handle law and order. What is your take on it? A: The AAP has a point on attacking the Centre on this issue. Delhi Police reports to Union Home Minister Amit Shah. If there are bomb threats to schools, if Delhi is continuing to be the rape capital of the country, questions will be raised. Questions will be raised as per what is happening in Delhi as far as law and order is concerned. The reality is that law and order is vested with the Union home minister. But he is too busy settling political and personal scores. He is too busy doing dirty politics, horse trading. He does not have time for the law and order in Delhi.

Q: The Congress, in its extended CWC, decided that in 2025 there will be a massive organizational revamp. What are the initiatives that the party is currently working on?

A: Yes, we took a decision in Belagavi that whatever appointments, restructuring the organization need, all that are going to be done. All this will be done in accordance with the Udaipur Declaration that we had done. The Congress stands for the people of the country. We are very hopeful we will be able to make the meaningful restructuring that needs to be done.