The politics. The powerplay. The pitfalls.

It’s not for nothing that she’s been Delhi’s chief minister for three consecutive terms.

Taking the Algebra stage, Sheila Dikshit gave us a masterclass in the deflection of tricky questions – but also in political maturity as she acknowledged that despite Delhi’s complex administrative dynamic, it was possible to work with any government at the centre if one was committed to getting the job done. She pointed out that it was Atal Bihari Vajpayee as Prime Minister who gave her the go-ahead for the Delhi Metro project, when it had languished even under previous BJP chief ministers.

Asked whether she had lost the election or her party’s scams at the Centre had cost her a historic fourth term, she was candid enough to say “both”, a rare acknowledgement for a diehard Congress loyalist. The candour did not extend to her opinion of Rahul Gandhi though, despite persistent questioning.

Yet, it’s impossible to contest Sheila’s place in the making of contemporary Delhi, and to get an insight into her thinking, watch the full session above.