JAIPUR: The high-profile trip of newly appointed AICC General Secretary in charge of Rajasthan, Ajay Maken, was abruptly cut short by the death of former president Pranab Mukherjee.
Maken’s five day trip was seen as an attempt to give an ear to the grievances of the Sachin Pilot camp and repair the Congress rift in the state and had assumed special significance due to the impending organisational changes and Ministry reshuffle in the faction-ridden state.
Before his trip got postponed to next week, Ajay Maken met several Congress leaders including many former ministers and PCC Chiefs of the state on Monday.
Talking to reporters in Jaipur, Maken said: “Now, there is no talk of factionalism. Now, all of us are one, working together and our full strength will be on two things, strengthening the organisation and establishing better coordination between the organisation and the government.”
However, frictions within the state Congress were visible on Monday itself as two senior leaders – Hemaram Chaudhury and Dipendra Singh Shekhawat - who were a part of the 19 MLAs who had stayed in Manesar as members of the Sachin Pilot camp, insisted that they would meet Ajay Maken alone.
After meeting Maken, Hemaram’s tone was quite conciliatory and he said: “We discussed how to strengthen the party and ensure a win for the Congress in the 2023 elections.
"Whoever is thought fit by the High Command will get a chance in the party and in the government. I think Maken will take everyone along and I hope all differences will soon be over.”
Dipendra Singh said he had shared his ‘Mann-ki-Baat’ with Maken and remarked that “all the information that Maken needs, we will provide him. He is quite a capable person and I’m confident that he will do a lot of good work.”
Besides meeting senior Congress leaders, Maken has also made an effort to streamline the work of ministers in the Gehlot government.
Though he claims that most ministers have completed 70% of the promises made in the last manifesto, Maken has reportedly instructed all ministers to visit the districts for which they have been made incharge every month and to hold dialogue with party workers and leaders in their districts.
In addition, the ministers have been asked to provide a report of their monthly interactions with party cadres to the PCC.
Maken also announced that on October 2, the state Congress unit will have produce a report card of the implementation of its manifesto along with other major achievements of the Gehlot government.
“Moving away from all talks of factionalism, our job now will be to ensure how the Rajasthan government does better work, communicate it to the public and also get their feedback. I feel the achievements of the Rajasthan government are unmatched,” he said.
However, after former President Pranab Mukherjee’s passing on Monday evening, all programmes for Tuesday and Wednesday were scrapped.
Maken’s crucial trip will resume next week and the meeting with Congress workers and leaders of Jaipur and Ajmer will now be held on September 8 and 9 respectively.