Ajay Maken, Haroon Yusuf didn't turn up to pay tribute to Sheila Dikshit

At times when political leaders, cutting across party lines, are visiting the residence of Sheila Dikshit, for paying their obeisance to the departed Congress leader, some of the prominent faces of the Congress namely Ajay Maken and Haroon Yusuf did not turn up at her residence for paying tribute, though these leaders were reportedly present in the national capital.

It was also marked by the absence of Congress leader Arvinder Singh Lovely and Devender Yadav.

Yusuf was the Minister of Food and Civil Supplies Department and Industries Department in the previous cabinet of the Congress Government headed by Sheila Dikshit in Delhi. While Lovely served in her cabinet for 15 years, Yadav is another DPCC working president.

Maken condoled the demise of former Chief Minister saying that it was hard to believe that she is no more.

"Hard to believe -- my mentor and a mother-like figure to me #SheilaDikshit ji is no more. Delhi can never forget her contribution," said Maken in a tweet.

"I will always thankfully remember the way she groomed me as a young politician and granted me valuable learning experience under her guidance! OmShanti," Maken added in his tweet.

Lovely too took to Twitter to express his grief and said, "I am devastated to hear about the passing of Shiela Dikshitji. She was a motherly figure under whose leadership I served Delhi for 15 yrs. I shared a close bond with her. My condolences to her family. Her demise is not only a loss to @INCIndia but to all of Delhi #RIPSheilaDikshit."

On the other hand, Delhi Congress in-charge PC Chacko called her the "architect of modern Delhi". In the recent past, an internal rift had cropped up between Chacko and Dikshit after she allocated new responsibilities to the three working presidents of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee.

Sheila Dikshit, 81, passed away on Saturday following a cardiac arrest. Dikshit died at 3.55 pm at a hospital in Delhi. She is credited for the national capital's growing infrastructure including roads and flyovers and better public transport system.

The Congress stalwart's mortal remains have arrived at her home in Delhi's Nizamuddin East, and her last rites will take place tomorrow at the Nigam Bodh Ghat.

Dikshit was so far the longest-serving Chief Minister of Delhi, having served in office for 15 years from 1998. She was appointed Delhi Congress Committee earlier this year ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. She contested from North East Delhi but lost.

-ANI