New Delhi: With each passing day, Uttar Pradesh (UP) Assembly elections are drawing near. This time, in addition to regional parties like Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP), national parties like the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are also trying aggressively to make not only their presence felt but also to win the election.

To know in detail about the plans of one of the national parties, Congress, ABP Live's Anurag Kumar has an in-depth, exclusive, interview of CM candidate of the party Sheila Dikshit. She also opened up on other topics in addition to upcoming UP election.

Here is the entire interview with the veteran Congress leader:

Q1) Congress' and Rahul Gandhi's twitter accounts hacked. What do you think, who is behind it?

Sheila Dikshit: You see this has never happened before. And therefore, there is a huge question mark on what was the motive, why it was done and whom it was done by.

It is very strange and disturbing and the question that arises is, is our democratic system in jeopardy, are we losing our democratic rights?

The privacy of a person or institution should be respected.

Q2) Some reports are saying that it was done by outside elements while others are saying that it was done by someone within the Congress. Your comment.

Sheila Dikshit: No no. I don't think it is inside job. It looks very unlikely. Within the party there may be differences but no point of hacking.

It's certainly done from outside.

Q3) What are the chances of the Congress in upcoming UP state elections?

Sheila Dikshit: The chances are good. UP is divided into four and it's terribly caste oriented. Mayawati represents a certain caste, Mulayam Singh represents a certain caste; BJP and Congress are national parties. So it's not a very easy and clear situation where you can say yes this will happen.

The people remember that the governance at the time of the Congress is the best so far. With that feeling, people want good governance. People are looking for a change and if they are looking for a change, we are very positive that they will look for the Congress.

We don't bank on any one community or caste, we are an all inclusive party, for us ever one is the voter and we want the support of people of all caste and community.

Q4) Demonetisation. Your take.

Sheila Dikshit: Well, at this time, it is very confusing. Nobody is against the policy of demonetisation. Ok, you have done it, fine. But demonetisation does not mean a complete confusion all around. You (BJP) are not prepared for it. It looks like something that is not well planned and is causing a lot of distress and uncertainty among the people.

Q5) Do you think demonetisation will affect UP state elections?

Sheila Dikshit: Certainly will. There will be no money, I can't say what the BJP will have because they probably knew that it will going to happen, they must have made their preparation but it will certainly affect other parties.

There is an impression that BJP is doing this to demonetise other rival parties. Time is questionable.

Q6) Is Congress keen to form an alliance with SP?

Sheila Dikshit: No, nothing is there at the moment. These are all rumours, imaginations. For the moment, we are going alone.

Q7) Who should be given the reign of the Congress in future, according to you, Rahul Gandhi or Priyanka Vadra Gandhi?

Sheila Dikshit: Rahul is the Vice President and in active politics, Priyanka is not in active politics...for me both of them are very good. One has some qualities, other has some other qualities.

And in any case, Rahul is already into it. Priyanka has yet to take a decision.

Q8) Whom you think is more capable, Rahul or Priyanka?

Sheila Dikshit: Both are very capable.

Q9) How important is the role of Prashant Kishor in UP election?

Sheila Dikshit: Well is an adviser, he is a person who is an expert and he is doing a lot of things. Yatras that we had were all planned by him. The planning and suggestions are made by him but eventually the party has to accept them.

Q10) Do you think, presently, Congress is lacking a good and strong leader like someone like late Mrs Indira Gandhi or late Mr Rajiv Gandhi?

Sheila Dikshit: Some of you feel that. Give time, don't start judging a person right from very first day. Opportunities will come, the experience will come and then only you will be able to judge. History will judge, not us.

Q11) Being a Delhi CM for 3 times yourself, how you judge the present working of CM Arvind Kejriwal of AAP?

Sheila Dikshit: The government of Delhi at the moment seems to be least interested in governance...they seems to be doing all sorts of things expect governing.

When you are in government then you have to govern, that's your priority number one and I'm afraid this is not their priority.

There are excuses being made, we can't do this we can't do that. You (Arvind Kejriwal) is more interested in finding faults than correcting.

Q12) How much you rate the present regime of Arvind Kejriwal as CM; 1-least favourable, 10 most favourable?

Sheila Dikshit: Least favourable.

Q13) If we will see you as CM of UP, what will be your top priorities?

Sheila Dikshit: Fulfill needs of everyone as per their requirements. Improving health care, roads, law and order...everything. Everything in governance is a priority.

UP Legislative Assembly election, 2017:

The UP state election will going be held in 2017 for the 403 seats of the Vidhan Sabha. The dates of the election are yet to be announced. In the last election in 2012, the Samajwadi Party won a majority and formed government in the leadership of Akhilesh Yadav.

About Sheila Dikshit:

Sheila Dikshit was the Chief Minister of Delhi (from 1998 to 2013). She is a member of the Indian National Congress. She was sworn in as Governor of Kerala on 11 March 2014. However, she resigned on 25 August 2014. She has been declared Chief Ministerial candidate for the Congress in upcoming Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly election, 2017.