The Congress on Tuesday named former Union Minister Ajay Maken as its face for the upcoming Delhi Assembly polls hinging its hopes on him to regain the party’s lost ground in the Capital where it has ceded its turf to the BJP and the AAP. But before Maken could set out on his task, he will have to first grapple with a formidable force from within the party’s own quarters in the form of his bête noire former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.
Though Dikshit has chosen to go into political hibernation, she still has a considerable influence in the party’s affairs in Delhi. And her continued strained equations with Maken have been again on display in recent times as the poll buzz gained momentum. Dikshit has opined that Maken should fight from the New Delhi constituency to take on AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal. Her remark is being construed as an indirect dare to Maken to put him on a sticky wicket.
Dikshit had faced a humiliating defeat at the hands of Kejriwal during the 2013 Assembly polls from the constituency which she had been representing for 15 long years. Interestingly, both Sheila and Maken have represented New Delhi as an MlA and MP earlier.
He countered Dikshit’s suggestion saying he will follow the party’s decision, but not before remarking, “Jis cheez ka uday hota hai, uska ant bhi hota hai”.
Maken being made chairman of the 101-member campaign committee is being perceived as the beginning of a new leadership in the national capital which saw unhindered legacy of Dikshit for almost 15 years.
Maken also did not miss to point out his own track record. He said he was just a MlA but was made to contest New Delhi lok Sabha seat against BJP’s heavyweight Jagmohan and he won with a huge margin. He said he retained the seat in 2009 lok Sabha polls defeating two-time BJP MP Vijay Goel. Maken, however, lost to BJP’s Meenakshi lekhi in the 2014 lok Sabha that saw the surge of the Modi wave across the nation.
Sources said Maken may be fielded from the Sadar Bazar constituency.
Maken too displayed his relations with Dikshit. He said he would appeal to the people to go for “tried and tested” leaders in the Delhi Assembly polls like former Delhi Ministers AK Walia, Arvinder Singh lovely, Kiran Walia and Yoganand Shastri preferring not to mention the name of Sheila Dikshit until specifically asked about her role in the polls. “We have learnt the nuances of administration from Dikshit,” he said.
“I have a performance of 21 years without facing any charge. We will work hard. We are trusted and tested. AAP may be trusted but not tested,” he said.
Maken also hit back at Dikshit’s comment that Congress will support AAP in case of a hung verdict. “It is not fair to pass a judgement based on the personal opinion of a person,” Maken said.
Asked whether Maken was the Chief Ministerial candidate of Congress, AICC in-charge of Delhi PC Chacko said that AICC only referred to the party’s practice of electing the leader of the legislature party by the MlAs after polls. Queried about Dikshit’s role, Chacko said she has conveyed to the party leadership that she does not want to contest polls and that she will campaign for the party.
Maken, who served in UPA’s council of Ministers on major portfolios, is credited with the privatisation of the electricity distribution and also putting in place CNG mode of public transport in Delhi after which he was shunted as Speaker of Delhi Assembly by Dikshit making his way out from Delhi politics.