Ajay Maken resigns as Delhi Congress chief, all eyes now on successor

Rahul Gandhi accepts Delhi Congress president’s resignation three months after he expressed desire to quit. Former CM Shiela and ex-DPCC chief JP Aggawal’s names do rounds.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi has accepted the resignation of Delhi unit chief Ajay Maken, three months after he had conveyed to the top party leadership that it would be difficult for him to continue in the post because of health reasons, a party functionary said on Friday.

Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken. (Biplov Bhuyan/ HT Photo)

Maken had submitted his resignation in September last year, citing “severe orthopaedic” ailment. But Gandhi had asked him to continue. All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge of Delhi PC Chacko said he, along with Maken, met Gandhi on Thursday. “Maken was asked if he wants to continue but he insisted that he should be relieved of the responsibilities,” Chacko said.

Maken, 54, had taken over as the Delhi Congress chief in March 2015 after the party’s drubbing in the assembly elections.

“Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) president should be 100% fit before elections. I would now work for the party and prepare it for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections,” Maken said.

“After the 2015 Vidhan Sabha elections, as the Delhi Congress chief, I have received a lot of love from the Delhi Congress workers, the media covering the party, and from our party head Rahul Gandhi ji. In these difficult times, it was not easy. I thank you all for everything,” Maken, a former Union minister, tweeted on Friday morning.

Party leaders said Sheila Dikshit, a three-term Delhi chief minister, AICC secretary and a two-time legislator from Badli, Devendra Yadav, former Delhi assembly Speaker and a prominent Jat leader Yoganand Shastri and former Northeast Delhi MP Jai Prakash Agarwal are probable contenders to the post.

Maken’s resignation comes a day after senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader from Punjab HS Phoolka quit the party. The timing of Maken’s resignation has fuelled speculation of a possible alliance between the Congress and the AAP in Delhi ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

Both Phoolka and Maken have been opposed to any such alliance, though for different reasons.

Speaking to HT on Friday, Dikshit said, “Whoever is appointed, will fulfil their duty towards the party and the people of Delhi with dedication. We will have to wait till the name is formally announced.”

After losing election from Sadar Bazar assembly constituency in 2015, Maken had offered to resign from the post of party’s general secretary. But the party leadership rejected his resignation and appointed him the Delhi unit chief.

In the past few months, Maken has been actively campaigning against the alleged failures of the AAP government and the purported inability of the BJP-led Centre to stop sealing in the city.