Walia, a former cabinet minister in the Sheila Dixit government, was not alone. Senior leaders Haroon Yusuf and Pervez Hashmi also threatened to quit the party. Three-time Congress MLA, Dalit leader and ex-deputy speaker of the Delhi Assembly, Amrish Gautam made matters worse for the Grand Old Party by joining the BJP on Monday.
Speaking to CNN-News 18, Walia expressed his displeasure and said: "There are four tickets in our ward. I was promised all four but we were given only three. We have been very disturbed since last night and nobody has reached out to us till today morning. There have been many discussions and I have been assured by the top leadership that the issue will be resolved. I have not yet taken back my resignation. I am waiting for them to fulfill their promise."
Soon enough, the knives were out for Delhi Congress Chief Ajay Maken.
According to sources, senior Congress leader Anand Sharma headed a committee which had recommended names of 27 candidates. Maken had reportedly rejected these names.
While the drama was playing out, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Nitin Tyagi, who represents Walia’s former seat of Laxmi Nagar in the Assembly, went to his residence. This fueled speculation that the veteran Congressman would soon be joining the AAP. Tyagi, however, told said that it was a mere courtesy call.
"Walia Ji has not resigned. There has been no formal resignation and as of now, he is very much within the party. He is a very senior and respected leader of the party. If there was any misunderstanding, it has been sorted out. Walia Ji, Haroon Yusuf Ji and Hashmi Sahib are all going to stay within the party," she said.
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