INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
chief of Congress in Delhi, months before national election due this year
Congress president Rahul Gandhi has accepted his resignation, say sources
The 54-year-old took over as Delhi Congress president four years ago, after party was decimated in state polls after three terms in power.He
is believed to have given health reasons for resigning
But sources say there is a possibility of Ajay Maken being given a new central role or even contesting Lok Sabha election.Mr Maken met Rahul
Gandhi last night before announcing his resignation in a tweet
"After 2015 assembly election, in past four years as Delhi Congress resident, I received immense love and support from Rahul Gandhi, workers
It was not easy in these difficult circumstances
I am grateful," he tweeted in Hindi.Three months ago, Congress had denied reports of Mr Maken's resignation and had said he had "temporarily
stepped down" because of a health problem.Mr Maken went for treatment abroad around time
Congress leader PC Chacko "filled in" for him.A two-time parliamentarian and former union minister, Mr Maken replaced Arvinder Singh Lovely
as Delhi Congress chief.He had resigned once before in May 2017 when party did not perform well in civic polls
But he took it back reportedly after Rahul Gandhi, then vice president, asked him to continue.Mr Maken was seen to have differences with
central leadership over possibility of an understanding between Congress and Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which ended Sheila
Dikshit-led Congress government's 15-year run in 2013.Mr Maken was strongly opposed to a tie-up with AAP for national election, which
presents Congress with a dilemma at a time it is trying to rally all opposition forces against BJP.
