Sheila Dikshit, who served as the chief minister (CM) of Delhi for an uninterrupted 15 years, passed away on Saturday. Her father-in-law, Uma Shankar Dikshit, was a close associate of Indira Gandhi, and had served in her Cabinet. And so when Dikshit chose to enter politics, she had the advantage of access to the party’s top leadership. Internally, the old stalwarts of the Delhi Congress saw her as an outsider, and Dikshit had to face factional challenges for much of her stint. But there is little doubt that Dikshit transformed Delhi, and would rank as one of best performing chief ministers of the country ever.

Source: Hindustan Times July 21, 2019 12:45 UTC