After 'Sahara diaries' row, Cong may 'drop' Dikshit as CM face in UP

New Delhi: With Sheila Dikshit's name figuring in the "Sahara diaries" bribery case, stoking a controversy, there could be uncertainty over her continuation as party's chief ministerial face in Uttar Pradesh, party insiders feel.

Sources say that Congress may even "drop" her after the party has decided to make the "personal corruption" of the Prime Minister a big issue and has decided to go public on it.

Sources close to Dikhit, however, said she has no such plans to quit and she will be launching her poll campaign in Uttar Pradesh from Wednesday.

Congress is demanding an independent and thorough probe into the "Sahara diaries" corruption issue, with Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh saying at the AICC briefing that whosoever's name is there, an independent and impartial probe should be held.

The former Delhi chief minister has already junked the documents and the allegations against her, thus blunting Gandhi's attack.

A controversy had erupted after Congress put out a list linked to it on Twitter in which a reference to its leader Sheila Dikshit also allegedly figured.

"There is no iota of truth in the allegations. I totally reject these allegations," she said. Asked about Congress putting out the "list" publicly on its twitter handle, she told PTI, "It surprised me".

In the eye of the storm after her comments on "Sahara Diaries" appeared weakening Congress' attack on Narendra Modi over graft, Dikshit on Monday night toed the party line saying the onus is on the Prime Minister to come out clean on the charges.

"I have said what I had to. The ball is in the court of the @PMOIndia & others now. Will he respond and come out clean? #SaharaBirlaDiaries (sic)," Dikshit tweeted tonight.

Her clarification came amid increasing unease in the Congress after she questioned the veracity of the "Sahara Diaries" based on which Rahul Gandhi had accused Modi of taking money from corporate houses when he was Chief Minister of Gujarat.

The former Delhi Chief Minister's name purportedly figures in the list that the Congress put out in a tweet two days back as proof of its allegations against PM Modi.

Yesterday, Dikshit vehemently denied any wrongdoings as she said "It is all hearsay. There is not an iota of truth in the allegations. I totally reject these allegations."

Dikshit, who is the Congress party's chief ministerial candidate for the Uttar Pradesh elections, also said the Supreme Court had already made observations on the diaries, comments which appeared at variance with the party line in targeting Modi.

The BJP had also said the Supreme Court found no merit in the allegations.