New Delhi: The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) in Delhi today (Dec 9, 2003) authorised party president Sonia Gandhi to nominate its leader who will become the Chief Minister.

A resolution authorising her was passed at a meeting of newly elected Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) at the All India Congress Committee (AICC), apparently after efforts to evolve a consensus failed.

Shortly after the resolution was passed, AICC observers Pranab Mukherjee, Ahmed Patel, P M Sayeed and Anil Shastri met MLAs individually to elicit their views on who should be the Chief Minister.

The delay in election of a leader was understood to be on account of reservations by Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) president Chaudhury Prem Singh and his supporters over re-electing incumbent Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. They reportedly insisted on the leadership seeking views from individual MLAs.

PTI