NEW DELHI: Conceding that Arvind Kejriwal ’s Aam Admi Party is a factor in the Delhi polls , chief minister Sheila Dikshit warned that a hung assembly would create unwelcome political instability and expressed the hope that a tradition of clear majorities for the ruling party would not be broken.

In an interview with TOI, the CM dismissed as baseless opinion polls indicating a strong showing for AAP , but seemed to take the new outfit more seriously after having earlier dismissed it as a monsoon pest, stressing that an unclear verdict would be a recipe for bad governance.

Hinting at a tough poll battle, Dikshit said she may not hold an advantage but can look forward to a level playing field. On AAP's entry resulting in a hung House, Dikshit said, "It is a decision Delhiwallas will have to take. A hung house is not a stable government and Delhi has had the comfort of having a party with a majority in power all through. I hope this tradition will not be broken for the sake of Delhi because it will not be good for governance."

Dikshit pointed to Delhi's usually bi-polar politics, saying, "Traditionally Congress and BJP have been here. There are others who keep coming. There was BSP in the corporation polls, there have been independents. As far as AAP is concerned, whether it a political party or a phenomenon it is for the people to decide."

On the possibility of Congress having to pay a price for soaring onion prices, she said all efforts were being made to moderate prices but inflation was an all-India phenomena. "It seems uncontrollable and is all over the country," she said.

The CM also challenged the perception that her rivals — Kejriwal and BJP's Harsh Vardhan — could benefit due to clean images and contested the Opposition's claims that Commonwealth Games scams have taken the sheen off the image of the state government.

Dikshit challenged opinion polls showing Congress is vulnerable to corruption charges and is trailing both BJP and AAP. "People who are supposed to be very clean, are they? I read in the newspapers that India Against Corruption is now questioning Kejriwal for misappropriation of funds. Are you going to call Kejriwal clean?" she said.

On the BJP nominee, she said, "What is Mr Harsh Vardhan saying that nothing has happened in 15 years and everything was done by him? The one thing that he started was the Polio project that he is very proud of. But that was a government of India programme and today Delhi is polio free because we have worked on it. I want to ask him what happened when dropsy deaths were happening? I don’t think he understands Delhi today…it is no more the Delhi he gave up 15 years ago."

Interestingly, the CM said that after three terms in power she may not hold the advantage, but is going to polls on par with her rivals. "I don’t go to the elections with an advantage but on a level playing field. Last time it was BSP now it is Kejriwal (as a third challenger)," Dikshit asserted.

On the onion crisis, the CM said, "This time the onion crop was supposed to be good but the rains spoiled them, then some storms came and resulted in the crisis. Delhi was affected but every time there have been problems we have brought in intervention — even today."

On whether onion prices will impact poll results, Dikshit said, "If that is the case then it should be the case also in other poll-going states like Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Rajasthan. People of Delhi understand that this problem has factors that are all-India. We have done all that we could."