Ajay Maken Archives - Lokmarg

Cong Alleges Party’s Accounts Frozen, Calls It Freeze Of Democracy

By LokMarg 16th February 2024

Congress general secretary Ajay Maken alleged that the party’s accounts have been frozen by the Income Tax department and called it the “freeze of democracy”.

In a press conference held at the AICC headquarters in Delhi, Maken said, “I have very disturbing news to share with all of you. The accounts of the Congress party have been frozen and also those of the Youth Congress have been frozen.”

“We got information yesterday that banks are not honouring the cheque we are issuing. On further investigation, we got to know that the Youth Congress bank accounts have been frozen. The accounts of the Congress party have also been seized. Income tax asked for Rs 210 crore recovery from Youth Congress and Congress party. The crowdfunding money in our accounts has been frozen. Just 2 weeks before elections when the opposition’s accounts are frozen, it is equivalent to freezing the democracy” he added.

The Congress leader questioned the motive behind the alleged freeze of party accounts ahead of the forthcoming parliamentary elections.

“When the principal opposition party’s accounts have been frozen just two weeks before the announcement of the national elections. Do you think democracy is alive in our country?” Maken remarked.

“We don’t have money, we don’t have money to pay the salaries, not only Nyay Yatra but all political activities will be impacted. We appealed in the Income Tax appellate tribunal the day before yesterday and the hearing is going on. We believe in the judiciary,” he added.

Meanwhile, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra arrived in Bihar on Friday.

The Yatra reached its final stage in Bihar and is scheduled to enter Uttar Pradesh later today.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will also join the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi as it enters Uttar Pradesh on Friday evening. She will join her brother in Chandauli in Uttar Pradesh after the yatra enters the state from Bihar.

The East-West Manipur-Mumbai Yatra traverses 6,700 km through 15 states and aims to highlight the message of “nyay” (justice) while meeting common people on the way. (ANI)

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Ajay Maken Replaces Pawan Bansal As Congress Treasurer

By LokMarg 1st October 2023

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday appointed party leader Ajay Maken as the new Treasurer of the party with immediate effect.

“Congress President has appointed Maken as the Treasurer of the All India Congress Committee, with immediate effect,” party General Secretary, Organisation, KC Venugopal said in an official communication.

Maken, considered a close confidant of Rahul Gandhi will be replacing Pawan Kumar Bansal.

“The party appreciates the contribution of the outgoing Treasurer Pawan Kumar Bansal.”

Maken, a former Union Minister, had earlier served as Delhi unit chief and was also a minister in Sheila Dikshit’s government in Delhi.

Ajay Maken formerly served as the General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) and is a member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC).

He has also served as a minister in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s Cabinet. (ANI)

Cong Alleges Corruption In Kejriwal’s Electricity Model, Demands CBI Probe

By LokMarg 22nd November 2022

Congress leader and former Delhi Power Minister Ajay Maken has targeted Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s electricity model and termed it as the “corruption” model.

Releasing a booklet along with the affidavit, Maken said that the electricity rate in Delhi is the highest in the country. The industrial rate is Rs 13/unit and the commercial rate is Rs 16.09/unit. Whereas in neighbouring states like Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan, it is very less, he added.
Between 2014 and 2019, 2,638 factories were closed or migrated, due to which 1,38,000 jobs were lost.

The manufacturing sector in Delhi was growing at the rate of 12 percent during Congress rule, but it has come down to below 1 percent i.e. 74 percent in the last six years, Maken claimed.

Kejriwal’s electricity model is the reason for rising unemployment in Delhi, he alleged.

Due to the privatization done during the Sheila Dixit government, Delhi has the least power theft, while the electricity rate is the highest. The electricity theft figure was 45.3 percent in 2002, which is now only 8.9 percent, he said.

In the last five years, the average rate of electricity has increased up to Rs 2.45/unit electricity and distribution companies have earned Rs 1,746 crore annually in one year, yet why are electricity rates increasing? he asked.

“Delhi government gives money directly to private companies without audit. Instead of providing Rs 14,731 crore as a power subsidy to consumers, it is being given directly to private companies. At the same time, the Aam Aadmi Party had earlier said in its manifesto that the subsidy would be given to government companies instead of private companies. With this much money, consumers can get up to 500 units of free electricity. If the Congress government comes, they will do it,” he further said.

“Delhi government has appointed Aam Aadmi Party’s treasurer and MP ND Gupta’s son Naveen Gupta as director of the electricity company, Kejriwal should answer this,” he stated.

There are 58 lakh domestic consumers in Delhi. The Delhi government used to say that 90 percent of the consumers are taking advantage of the subsidy. Now only 37 lakh i.e. contrary to the claim, only 60 percent of consumers got registered in the Delhi government’s Voluntary Scheme. So till now why this 30 percent fake consumers’ money was given to a private company? he asked.

Maken claimed that unemployment has increased in Delhi due to expensive electricity in Kejriwal’s electricity model and corruption of crores has taken place in the name of 30 percent fake consumers.

Maken has demanded a CBI inquiry, terming the 30 percent fake consumer case as a power subsidy scam.

Making it Kejriwal’s “BBB” model, Maken said that it is an electricity, unemployment, and corruption model. “We will take this among the people in Gujarat and also tell the people there that, if unemployment is to be increased and industries are to be closed, only then give Kejriwal a chance. The Congress will use this booklet extensively in the MCD and Gujarat elections as well.” (ANI)

BJP MP Welcomes Maken Quitting As Cong Rajasthan Incharge

By LokMarg 17th November 2022

A day after senior Congress leader and former Union minister Ajay Maken stepped down as the party’s Rajasthan in-charge, BJP MP Kirodi Lal Meena welcomed his decision and said he would have been stuck between two raging bulls had he remained in the post.

Maken’s move came amid a continuing and bitter tussle between Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot.
The tussle came to a head again in the lead-up to the polls to elect the Congress national president, as Gehlot, who has initially seen a frontrunner for the post, pulled out in the face of a rebellion by his loyalist MLAs who wanted him to continue as CM.

Maken had earlier written to octogenarian Dalit leader Mallikarjun Kharge, who was recently elected the party’s first non-Gandhi national president in 24 years, expressing his unwillingness to continue in his post as the Congress’ Rajasthan in-charge.

Speaking to ANI after presiding over a function in Dausa, Meena said, “If Maken hadn’t taken this step, he would have been stuck in the fight between two raging bulls.”

The BJP Rajya Sabha MP added that with the next Assembly elections in the state not too far away, the infighting in the party (between Gehlot and Pilot) will only get more intense in the coming days. (ANI)

Rajasthan: Maken’s Unwillingness To Continue As Incharge Of State

By LokMarg 16th November 2022

The crisis that began in the Rajasthan Congress on September 25 this year has taken a new turn. Now the annoyed general secretary in charge of the state Ajay Maken has expressed his unwillingness to continue in his post.

In a letter to party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Ajay Maken stated that he does not want to continue in his post after the events of September 25.
In his letter dated November 8, Maken said that a new person should be given the responsibility before the Bharat Jodo Yatra enters the state and state assembly by-elections are held.

“I am a soldier of Rahul Gandhi. My family has decades of association with the party,” he wrote.

On September 25, on the instructions of the then President Sonia Gandhi, Maken and Kharge went to Jaipur as observers. Then there was a buzz of Ashok Gehlot contesting the election of the Congress President. So, a meeting of the Legislature Party was to be held for the selection of the new Chief Minister, but a rebellious tone was adopted by the Gehlot supporters who opposed the candidature of Sachin Pilot. The meeting could not take place. The high command was miffed with the development in the crisis-hit state.

After this, show-cause notices were issued to three leaders. But even after a long time, no action was taken. Even after Gehlot apologized to Sonia Gandhi, organization general secretary KC Venugopal had said that a decision on Rajasthan Congress will be taken in the next two days. Still, the meeting of the Legislature Party could not be held again.

According to sources, miffed with all the developments, Maken decided to quit the post.

According to sources, the high command is unhappy with the behaviour of Gehlot’s supporters, but Gehlot is currently the chief observer of the Gujarat elections. At the same time, he does not want to pose a risk to the Rajasthan government at this time.

In such a situation, the ball is in the court of the same Kharge who himself is the witness to the whole incident.

It is believed that the Rajasthan crisis will be the first major test of Kharge’s organizational skills. Now they have to decide how to persuade Gehlot to hand over the command to Sachin or maintain Gehlot by taking care of Sachin. On the other hand, he also faces the challenge of solving the case of ‘indiscipline’ that took place on September 25.

To add to Kharge’s troubles, Gehlot’s grip on the MLAs in Rajasthan has also been reported by party sources to Kharge that, in the recent assembly elections, Sachin Pilot is the most in-demand leader after the Gandhi family. He is also engaged in campaigning in all the states. Along with this, he is also going to meet Rahul once again by joining the ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra in Maharashtra. (ANI)

Sonia Seeks Written Report Over Rajasthan Crisis From Maken, Kharge

By LokMarg 26th September 2022

Congress leaders Ajay Maken and Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday briefed party chief Sonia Gandhi about the developments in Rajasthan in wake of the political crisis in the state over the move to find a successor to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who is likely to fight the party’s presidential election.

Sonia Gandhi asked Maken and Kharge, who were appointed observers for the legislature party meeting, to give a written report which will be submitted to her tonight or tomorrow.
“Mallikarjun Kharge and I briefed Congress chief everything about our meetings in Rajasthan in detail. Now she has asked us for a written report that will be given to her by tonight or tomorrow,” Maken told reporters.

The political crisis has been triggered by Ashok Gehlot apparently agreeing to file his nomination in the Congress presidential polls and wanting a successor of his choice in Rajasthan.

Maken said the venue of the legislative party meeting was decided after consultations and they had to give a report after talking to every MLA.

He said holding a “parallel meeting” when a CLP meeting has been called was “indiscipline” and noted that a decision on leadership in the state was to be taken in Delhi and not Jaipur.

Maken, who is AICC incharge of Rajasthan, said the three ministers who met them at Gehlot’s residence put forward three conditions.

He said they demanded that a decision on a CLP resolution should be after the declaration of Congress presidential poll results on October 19. Rejecting the condition, Maken said a resolution is not passed with conditions and also noted that any such move will be “a conflict of interest” for Gehlot.

He said the ministers also demanded that MLAs should meet the observers in groups and this was not acceptable. “We wanted to meet every MLA individually so that the decision is free and fair,” Maken said.

He said the three ministers also said that a successor to Gehlot should be chosen from among 102 MLAs, who had stood by him during the crisis in 2020. The Gehlot government had faced political crisis in 2020 over demands led by Sachin Pilot and MLAs loyal to him.

Maken on Sunday met three members from the Gehlot camp – Shanti Dhariwal, C.P. Joshi and Pratap Khachriyawas who had put forward their proposals. (ANI)