Swaraj said at a press meet that she was not imposed but it was through a democratic process that the mantle was handed over to her.

She vehemently denied that the Delhi government under Sahib Singh Verma had failed to deliver the goods. Power shortage, rising prices and deteriorating law and order were beyond the purview of the state government.

For onions, she said that the Delhi government had made arrangements to sell it at Rs 10 a kg and was opening stationary outlets throughout the metropolis and at least one special centre in each constituency to streamline distribution of onions.

She also saw nothing wrong in projection of somebody as chief minister before the polls. She indicated that the party might do the same in the other three states which are going to the polls next month. However, party general secretary KN Govindacharya denied itafter the meeting of the central election management committee meeting this afternoon.

She said that the Delhi government was importing 400 tonnes of onion every day and of this, 100 tonnes would be sold through Mother Dairy outlets and rest by the Delhi government.

Swaraj said that within a week of assuming office on October 12, she had persuaded the centre to put onion imports on open general licence (OGL) and make its imports duty-free.

The first consignment of the additional imports had landed in the capital today and from tomorrow the government will make 400 tonnes of onions available every day at stationary outlets in each of the 70 assembly constituencies. These onions will be sold at Rs 10 per kg. Swaraj felt that raids were not the solution to tackling the price rise.

Setting at rest speculation about her involvement with Delhi politics, Swaraj said that she would contest the coming assembly elections and assume the post of chief minister after her party came back to power.

Admitting thatshe had been reluctant to accept the chief minister's post, Swaraj said this was mainly because she did not want to replace a colleague. Listing the polio-eradication programme, establishment of another university, highest labour wages and good financial management as among the achievements of the Delhi government, Swaraj said that she would go to the people with the good work done in the past five years under her predecessors ML Khurana and Sahib Singh Varma.

Asked about the anger of the Punjabi and Vaish communities, Swaraj said the BJP did not function along caste lines. In reply to another question, she said that the granting of the second language status to Punjabi was under active consideration. Also, the BJP government had been prompt in doing whatever was within its jurisdiction in seeking redress for the 1984 riot victims, she added.