Ajay Maken resigns as Delhi Congress chief

New Delhi, Jan 4 A few months before the Lok Sabha election, senior Congress leader Ajay Maken has resigned as the party's Delhi unit chief citing health reasons.

Maken told his resignation has been accepted and he would now work for the party in preparing it up for the 2019 general election, due by May.

"I had offered my acquiescence in September itself. I met Rahul ji yesterday to demand once more (to be mitigated as Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee boss).

"I said DPCC president ought to be 100 percent fit before elections. I would now work for the party and set it up for the Lok Sabha election," the 54-year-old pioneer told.

Asked if his resignation has been accepted, Maken stated, "Truly, Yes. That has happened" and included he was undergoing treatment for an orthopaedic ailment.

Maken's resignation assumes significance amid speculation of a possible alliance between the Congress and the AAP in Delhi for 2019. He was strongly opposed to any tie-up with the ruling Aam Aadmi Party in the national capital.

Sources said party president Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Congress party undertakings in-control P C Chacko and Maken held a gathering on Thursday night and Gandhi acknowledged his resignation.

Later, Maken took to Twitter to announce his resignation. He had assumed control as the Delhi unit boss after the gathering lost the 2015 assembly election.

"After the 2015 Delhi assembly elections, as its Delhi unit president, I got a great deal of adoration and support from Congress workers, the media covering the gathering and our leader Rahul Gandhi ji. It was not easy in these difficult times. Thank you all," he tweeted.

The Congress in September last year had denied reports of Maken's resignation and said he had gone abroad for a medical checkup.

The party sources said former chief minister Sheila Dikshit could replace Maken as Congress' Delhi unit boss. She hosts kept up that the party high command's decision on sealing an alliance in Delhi will be accepted by her.

The AAP and the Congress have not yet denied the theory.

Congress leaders Yoganand Shastri, Rajkumar Chauhan, Haroon Yusuf and Chatar Singh could also be considered as Maken's replacement, the sources said.