Ajay Maken resigns as Delhi Congress President citing health reasons; may get Central role

The 54-year Senior Congress leader took over as Delhi Congress President back in 2015 after his party was defeated by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Assembly elections.

The 54-year Senior Congress leader took over as Delhi Congress President back in 2015. (Image: PTI)

New Delhi: Congress Delhi Unit chief Ajay Maken on Friday tendered his resignation from the post citing health reasons. The move comes only months before the 2019 general elections and it is being said that Maken may get a new Central role and even contest the Lok Sabha election. As per early reports, Congress President Rahul Gandhi has accepted his resignation and it is being speculated that former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit might take up the post. The 54-year Senior Congress leader took over as Delhi Congress President back in 2015 after his party was defeated by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Assembly elections. Congress was in power in the national capital for three consecutive terms before 2015. Maken is a two-time Member of Parliament and a three-time Member of Legislative Assembly of Delhi. His resignation from the post has certainly come as a jolt to Congress party and party Chief Rahul Gandhi. Maken took to Twitter to announce his resignation. "After the 2015 Delhi assembly elections, as its Delhi unit president I received a lot of love and support from Congress workers, the media covering the party and our leader Rahul Gandhiji. It was not easy in these difficult times. Thank you all," he tweeted. The party had in September last year denied reports of Maken's resignation and had said that he had gone abroad for a medical checkup. Maken's resignation assumes significance amid speculations of a possible alliance between the Congress and the AAP in Delhi for 2019. He was strongly opposed to any truck with the AAP in the national capital. The sources said former chief minister Sheila Dikshit could replace Maken as the Congress's Delhi unit president. She has maintained that the party high command's decision on alliance will be accepted by her. Both AAP and the Congress have not yet denied the speculations. Other Congress leaders Yoganand Shastri, Rajkumar Chauhan, Haroon Yusuf and Chatar Singh could also be considered for the post of the party's Delhi unit chief, the sources said.