Congress leader Ajay Maken on Saturday resigned from the post of the Union Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation. He has expressed desire to work for the party organisation in Delhi.
Maken’s resignation comes two days before the expected reshuffle of the Union Cabinet. Sources in the Congress said that he was likely to be appointed the president of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) in a poll-bound Delhi.
The Delhi Assembly polls are expected in October and the Congress is facing difficulties in preparing for the elections as incumbent DPCC president Jaiprakash Agarwal and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit don’t see eye to eye.
Before he was elevated to the Cabinet rank in October 2012, Maken has served as the MoS for Sports and Youth Affairs (Independent Charge) and the MoS for Home Affairs. It has long been debated in Delhi’s political circles about Maken’s ambition to become the Delhi Chief Minister, whereas a few months ago, there were rumors about Dikshit being given a ministerial position in the Central Government.
Meanwhile, Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has reportedly asked to be divested of his party responsibilities. He is currently in charge of the states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Azad recently met UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in this regard.