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

• Former Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, passed away earlier today at the age of 81.
• She was admitted to Fortis with cardiac arrhythmia yesterday and put on a ventilator.
• Dikshit has been suffering from cardiac issues since 2012.

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, Narendra Modi, expressed his condolences over Twitter stating that he was 'deeply saddened' by Dikshit's demise.


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'.


Congress President, Rahul Gandhi, got nostalgic expressing how he shared a 'close personal bond' with the former CM.

The current CM of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal, also expressed how Dikshit's contribution to New Delhi with 'always be remembered.'



(with IANS inputs)