Congress treasurer Ajay Maken claimed that BJP will have to pay Rs 4600 crore penalty if the I-T dept examines the ruling party’s financials. This comes after the Income Tax department issued a notice of Rs 1,823.08 crore to Congress, exacerbating the grand old party’s financial concerns. Maken called the I-T notice a premeditated, diabolical campaign against Congress ahead of the crucial 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Congress top brass also slammed the I-T department for ‘inactions’ against the ruling party and targeting the opposition. Watch!
Tag: Ajay Maken
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Ajay Maken, Arvinder Singh Lovely, Sandeep Dikshit: Congress Leaders Who First Accused Arvind Kejriwal In Liquor Policy Scam Are Now Rallying Behind Him |
NEW DELHI: In a remarkable twist of political fate, the Congress party has undergone a notable transformation in its stance towards Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s alleged involvement in the excise policy case and his subsequent arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), shifting from accusations to defence. This significant shift in the party’s position has unfolded against the backdrop of the ED’s action in the excise policy case and the recent sealing of a seat-sharing deal between Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for the forthcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Congress’ Allegations And Protests
Just a year ago, key figures within the Congress party, including Ajay Maken, Arvinder Singh Lovely, Anil Chowdhary and Sandeep Dikshit, were at the forefront of accusing Arvind Kejriwal in connection to the liquor policy scandal that rocked Delhi in 2023. The party organized protests, demanding Kejriwal’s resignation on grounds of alleged corruption and obstructed investigations while he remained in power. Congress leaders had staged a protest led by Anil Chaudhary near the Aam Aadmi Party office, demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal following the arrest of his deputy Manish Sisodia by the CBI. The party had said a fair probe would not be possible as long as Arvind Kejriwal remains in power. “The entire Delhi government is fully immersed in corruption. As long as Kejriwal remains in power, there will not be an independent probe in the liquor scam, and therefore, he should also submit his resignation,” Chaudhary said.
The Congress party had also filed a formal complaint regarding what it termed as Kejriwal’s fraudulent liquor policy. AICC media cell chief Pawan Khera had claimed credit for initiating the probe, asserting that Congress pressure had compelled the BJP-led Centre to investigate the Delhi liquor scam.
Congress’ U-Turn On The Issue
However, in a surprising about-face, Congress is now rallying behind Arvind Kejriwal following his recent arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the excise policy case. Congress Leaders such as Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have criticized the arrest, branding it as ”unconstitutional and indicative of authoritarian tactics” aimed at stifling democracy. Rahul Gandhi even spoke against PM Narendra Modi after the arrest of Kejriwal and accused him of resorting to “dictatorial tactics” to destroy democracy in the country. He said that the opposition INDIA bloc will give a “befitting reply to this”.
Delhi Congress President Arvinder Singh Lovely condemned Kejriwal’s arrest, attributing it to BJP’s political manoeuvring ahead of the upcoming elections. Highlighting the pattern of actions taken against Opposition leaders, including the seizure of Congress’ financial resources and the arrest of Jharkhand’s Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Lovely condemned the use of governmental agencies for political ends. “Congress will not be intimidated by these measures and will continue to fight the elections with vigour. As part of the INDIA alliance, we stand firmly with AAP and extend our full support,” he said.
Sandeep Dikshit, who had previously accused Kejriwal, denounced the arrest as an assault on democratic principles. Dikshit lambasted the BJP, questioning the appropriateness of arresting individuals at their homes and linking such actions directly to the election period. Dikshit emphasized the abnormality of conducting raids at night and suggested that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) could have simply summoned Kejriwal for questioning rather than arresting him, deeming the actions as an attack on democratic principles.
Political Fallout Of Kejriwal’s Arrest
The arrest of Kejriwal has injected fresh tension into the political arena, particularly as it coincides with the looming Lok Sabha elections. While AAP leaders have mobilized to challenge the legality of Kejriwal’s arrest, BJP leaders have staunchly defended the ED’s actions, framing them as necessary steps to combat alleged corruption. Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva defended the ED’s actions, accusing Kejriwal of evading accountability in the liquor policy scam and engaging in “political theatrics.” Sachdeva expressed satisfaction over the arrest, asserting that it was a necessary outcome to counteract what he described as Kejriwal’s attempt to corrupt the youth with alcoholism.
The BJP leadership has also rallied behind the ED’s decision to arrest Kejriwal, framing it as a just resolution in the face of alleged misconduct by the Delhi Chief Minister and his administration in the excise policy scandal.
Delhi Excise Case Background
Following a series of developments in the ongoing excise policy case, Kejriwal was produced before the Rouse Avenue court by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday. He was represented by senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi. Kejriwal’s arrest by the ED, which occurred on Thursday, was precipitated by the Delhi High Court’s denial of interim protection against coercive actions related to the excise policy case. This arrest followed Kejriwal’s repeated non-compliance with nine summonses issued by both the Enforcement Directorate and the Delhi High Court, the latter of which declined to grant him relief from potential coercive measures by the investigative agency.
The crux of the case revolves around allegations of irregularities and money laundering associated with the formulation and execution of the Delhi excise policy in 2022, which was subsequently annulled. Kejriwal’s apprehension occurred amidst a broader investigation into financial improprieties linked to the now-defunct excise policy, with notable figures such as K Kavitha, a leader of the Bharat Rashta Samithi (BRS) and daughter of former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, also being ensnared in the probe.
Preceding Kejriwal’s arrest, other prominent individuals involved in Delhi’s governance faced legal repercussions in connection to the same case. Manish Sisodia, the former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, was apprehended by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on February 26, while Sanjay Singh, a member of the Rajya Sabha, was arrested by the ED on October 5. Both Sisodia and Singh remain in judicial custody, further highlighting the gravity of the allegations and the legal ramifications surrounding the excise policy case.
Importantly, Kejriwal’s arrest assumes added significance due to its timing in relation to the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, scheduled to take place between April 19 and June 1. As the political landscape becomes increasingly charged, the ramifications of these legal proceedings extend beyond the confines of the courtroom, influencing the broader discourse surrounding governance and accountability in Delhi.
What Next For AAP?
As the legal battle unfolds, with Kejriwal being produced before the court, the political landscape in Delhi remains charged with uncertainty. With key AAP leaders already in judicial custody in connection to the same case, the implications of Kejriwal’s arrest reverberate through the corridors of power, shaping the narrative ahead of the impending elections.
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Rajasthan: Ajay Maken’s offer to resign intensifies rift within Congress
Express News Service
JAIPUR: Amid the tussle between supporters of the Gehlot-Pilot groups, the political temperature in Rajasthan is heating up before the entry of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra in the state.
Congress in-charge Ajay Maken’s offer to resign, 15 days before Rahul Gandhi’s arrival has led to many questions. Is it just a coincidence or was it done intentionally?
Angry over the lack of action against three rebel leaders of the Gehlot faction for the uproar on September 25 despite Mallikarjun Kharge becoming the national president, Maken wrote a letter to the party president on November 8, offering to quit the post of Rajasthan in charge.
Ajay Maken was an observer along with the current president Kharge for the Legislature Party meeting in Jaipur on 25 September. MLAs of the Gehlot faction had boycotted that meeting.
After this, the rift in the state unit grew so serious that CM Gehlot had to apologize to Sonia Gandhi. It was on the basis of Kharge and Maken’s report that notices were issued to ministers Shanti Dhariwal and Mahesh Joshi and RTDC chairman Dharmendra Rathore who were held responsible for the boycott of the Legislature Party meeting. Though the three leaders replied, the matter has been put in cold storage.
The Gehlot camp had even accused Maken of manipulating MLAs to make Sachin Pilot the new Chief Minister.
Political observers are linking Maken’s letter to the pressure by the Pilot camp for action against Shanti Dhariwal, Mahesh Joshi and Dharmendra Rathore before Rahul Gandhi’s visit.
Apart from inaction against the three leaders, Maken is also angry with the trio being made the main organisers for Rahul’s visit as he pointed out in his letter. The way Maken expressed displeasure to the national president for not taking action against the rebels, reveals that he is in the mood to keep alive the chapter of leadership change in Rajasthan.
On September 25, the resignations of the MLAs of the Gehlot faction were handed over to the Speaker but they have not been withdrawn yet. Now, the Pilot camp is demanding a change of CM even as resignations of the MLAs from Gehlot’s camp are kept with the Speaker. These resignations are seen as a pressure tactic to prevent any move to change the CM.
On the resignation of Ajay Maken, Pilot supporter and MLA Ved Prakash Solanki said that “Maken has left the post of state in charge after being hurt by the incident of 25 September and that is a matter of shame for us.”
Also, Pilot supporter MLA Khiladi Lal Bairwa said that “Maken had to say that it has been 51 days since September 25 and no action was taken. The high command accepted that three people were responsible but no action against all three for 51 days is a serious matter. Whatever changes have to be made should be done before Rahul Gandhi’s visit and immediate action should be taken against all the three leaders.”
Before the start of Rahul’s visit, the estrangement between former Deputy CM Sachin Pilot and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is intensifying.
Pilot did not attend the party’s meeting on Friday on preparations for the Bharat Jodo Yatra and CM Gehlot again targeted Pilot without naming him. Gehlot wants show cause notices to be given to party leaders, office bearers and public representatives who were absent from the meeting for Bharat Jodo Yatra.
Political analysts believe the real reason behind Maken’s resignation is to revive the demand for a change of CM in Rajasthan. Maken has raised questions on the Gehlot faction and made it an issue of the authority of the High Command. Though Maken has not come to Rajasthan after September 25, the party leadership has tried to defuse the controversy for by making him a star campaigner for the Sardarshahar by-election.
Amidst discussions about Maken’s offer to quit, PCC chief Govind Singh Dotasara said “those who are not angry, how to convince them?”
Dotasara said that Maken is in charge of the Rajasthan Congress and that’s why he is on the list of star campaigners for the Sardarshahar by-election.
Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra will enter Rajasthan from Jhalawar and cover a total distance of 521 kilometres through Kota, Bundi, Sawai Madhopur, Dausa and Alwar districts and enter Haryana.
The state Congress has kept Ministers Shantilal Dhariwal and Mahesh Joshi and RTDC Chairman Dharmendra Rathod away from this visit so that no new controversy arises. The State Congress has constituted a 32-member committee for the preparations for this yatra.
JAIPUR: Amid the tussle between supporters of the Gehlot-Pilot groups, the political temperature in Rajasthan is heating up before the entry of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra in the state.
Congress in-charge Ajay Maken’s offer to resign, 15 days before Rahul Gandhi’s arrival has led to many questions. Is it just a coincidence or was it done intentionally?
Angry over the lack of action against three rebel leaders of the Gehlot faction for the uproar on September 25 despite Mallikarjun Kharge becoming the national president, Maken wrote a letter to the party president on November 8, offering to quit the post of Rajasthan in charge.
Ajay Maken was an observer along with the current president Kharge for the Legislature Party meeting in Jaipur on 25 September. MLAs of the Gehlot faction had boycotted that meeting.
After this, the rift in the state unit grew so serious that CM Gehlot had to apologize to Sonia Gandhi. It was on the basis of Kharge and Maken’s report that notices were issued to ministers Shanti Dhariwal and Mahesh Joshi and RTDC chairman Dharmendra Rathore who were held responsible for the boycott of the Legislature Party meeting. Though the three leaders replied, the matter has been put in cold storage.
The Gehlot camp had even accused Maken of manipulating MLAs to make Sachin Pilot the new Chief Minister.
Political observers are linking Maken’s letter to the pressure by the Pilot camp for action against Shanti Dhariwal, Mahesh Joshi and Dharmendra Rathore before Rahul Gandhi’s visit.
Apart from inaction against the three leaders, Maken is also angry with the trio being made the main organisers for Rahul’s visit as he pointed out in his letter. The way Maken expressed displeasure to the national president for not taking action against the rebels, reveals that he is in the mood to keep alive the chapter of leadership change in Rajasthan.
On September 25, the resignations of the MLAs of the Gehlot faction were handed over to the Speaker but they have not been withdrawn yet. Now, the Pilot camp is demanding a change of CM even as resignations of the MLAs from Gehlot’s camp are kept with the Speaker. These resignations are seen as a pressure tactic to prevent any move to change the CM.
On the resignation of Ajay Maken, Pilot supporter and MLA Ved Prakash Solanki said that “Maken has left the post of state in charge after being hurt by the incident of 25 September and that is a matter of shame for us.”
Also, Pilot supporter MLA Khiladi Lal Bairwa said that “Maken had to say that it has been 51 days since September 25 and no action was taken. The high command accepted that three people were responsible but no action against all three for 51 days is a serious matter. Whatever changes have to be made should be done before Rahul Gandhi’s visit and immediate action should be taken against all the three leaders.”
Before the start of Rahul’s visit, the estrangement between former Deputy CM Sachin Pilot and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is intensifying.
Pilot did not attend the party’s meeting on Friday on preparations for the Bharat Jodo Yatra and CM Gehlot again targeted Pilot without naming him. Gehlot wants show cause notices to be given to party leaders, office bearers and public representatives who were absent from the meeting for Bharat Jodo Yatra.
Political analysts believe the real reason behind Maken’s resignation is to revive the demand for a change of CM in Rajasthan. Maken has raised questions on the Gehlot faction and made it an issue of the authority of the High Command. Though Maken has not come to Rajasthan after September 25, the party leadership has tried to defuse the controversy for by making him a star campaigner for the Sardarshahar by-election.
Amidst discussions about Maken’s offer to quit, PCC chief Govind Singh Dotasara said “those who are not angry, how to convince them?”
Dotasara said that Maken is in charge of the Rajasthan Congress and that’s why he is on the list of star campaigners for the Sardarshahar by-election.
Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra will enter Rajasthan from Jhalawar and cover a total distance of 521 kilometres through Kota, Bundi, Sawai Madhopur, Dausa and Alwar districts and enter Haryana.
The state Congress has kept Ministers Shantilal Dhariwal and Mahesh Joshi and RTDC Chairman Dharmendra Rathod away from this visit so that no new controversy arises. The State Congress has constituted a 32-member committee for the preparations for this yatra.
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Congress conundrum: Gehlot stays closeted with his confidantes at Jaipur; delays meeting Sonia
Express News Service
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot remained closeted with his confidantes in Jaipur on Wednesday thereby delaying his meeting with Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi by a day while Rahul Gandhi contiued with his Bharat Jodo Yatra.
Gehlot was originally scheduled to leave Jaipur at 5.30 PM on Wednesday. But his departure was delayed. “The Chief Minister is going to Delhi at 5-5.30 pm today to express the feelings of 102 MLAs, as their guardian, with the party leadership and organisation,” cabinet minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas told reporters after a meeting with the chief minister.
Besides Khachariyawas, Assembly Speaker C P Joshi, PCC president Govind Singh Dotasra, Minister Shanti Dhariwal, and Mahesh Joshi also met the chief minister.
Gehlot reached Delhi late on Wednesday late night. He is expected to meet Sonia today.Gehlot appears to be on the offensive despite the High Command reportedly bracing up to crack the whip on Gehlot loyalists’ and ministers Shanti Dhariwal and Mahesh Joshi. The two spearheaded the protest against signing the resolution authorising Sonia Gandhi to appoint a new Chief Minister after Gehlot files the nomination papers for the party presidential polls. Gehlot and his loyalists are figjting tooth and nail the high command’s move to make Sachin Pilot as Rajasthan Chief Minister if Gehlot goes on to become party president.
Gehlot is not averse to giving up chief ministership and entering the presidential race. But he does not want to hand over charge in the state to Pilot. He says he would hand over the chief ministership to anyone from the 102 MLAs who had stayed loyal to the party when Pilot had walked out, but not the latter.
As suspense over whether or not Gehlot would agree to resign from the post of chief minister to file the nomination continues, names of many Congress leaders who are likely aspirants for the post have started doing the rounds. Among them are the party’s top Dalit leaders including, leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, AICC general secretary Mukul Wasnik, former Maharashtra chief minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, and former Haryana president of Congress Kumari Selja.
ALSO READ| Rajasthan political crisis: Congress in a quandary even as it shows Gehlot his place
Gandhi family loyalists Ambika Soni, who is considered close to Sonia Gandhi, and former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Digvijaya Singh, who shares a close personal equation with Rahul Gandhi, are also among the frontrunners. Party treasurer Pawan Kumar Bansal’s name is also being mentioned as a possible contender for the post after he took a nomination form from the Congress office.
On Wednesday, Sonia Gandhi consulted senior party leaders Ambika Soni and A K Antony, who was called from Kerala where he is leading a retired life, on the Rajasthan crisis. She was advised to meet Gehlot one last time to try and iron out the differences.
The two central observers – Ajay Maken and Mallikarjun Kharge – have shielded Gehlot in their report after returning from Jaipur where they were not able to meet the party MLAs loyal to the chief minister. These MLAs are opposed to the leadership’s plan to replace Gehlot with his former deputy Sachin Pilot and refused to sign a resolution authorising the party president to choose Gehlot’s successor.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot remained closeted with his confidantes in Jaipur on Wednesday thereby delaying his meeting with Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi by a day while Rahul Gandhi contiued with his Bharat Jodo Yatra.
Gehlot was originally scheduled to leave Jaipur at 5.30 PM on Wednesday. But his departure was delayed. “The Chief Minister is going to Delhi at 5-5.30 pm today to express the feelings of 102 MLAs, as their guardian, with the party leadership and organisation,” cabinet minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas told reporters after a meeting with the chief minister.
Besides Khachariyawas, Assembly Speaker C P Joshi, PCC president Govind Singh Dotasra, Minister Shanti Dhariwal, and Mahesh Joshi also met the chief minister.
Gehlot reached Delhi late on Wednesday late night. He is expected to meet Sonia today.
Gehlot appears to be on the offensive despite the High Command reportedly bracing up to crack the whip on Gehlot loyalists’ and ministers Shanti Dhariwal and Mahesh Joshi. The two spearheaded the protest against signing the resolution authorising Sonia Gandhi to appoint a new Chief Minister after Gehlot files the nomination papers for the party presidential polls. Gehlot and his loyalists are figjting tooth and nail the high command’s move to make Sachin Pilot as Rajasthan Chief Minister if Gehlot goes on to become party president.Gehlot is not averse to giving up chief ministership and entering the presidential race. But he does not want to hand over charge in the state to Pilot. He says he would hand over the chief ministership to anyone from the 102 MLAs who had stayed loyal to the party when Pilot had walked out, but not the latter.
As suspense over whether or not Gehlot would agree to resign from the post of chief minister to file the nomination continues, names of many Congress leaders who are likely aspirants for the post have started doing the rounds. Among them are the party’s top Dalit leaders including, leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, AICC general secretary Mukul Wasnik, former Maharashtra chief minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, and former Haryana president of Congress Kumari Selja.
ALSO READ| Rajasthan political crisis: Congress in a quandary even as it shows Gehlot his place
Gandhi family loyalists Ambika Soni, who is considered close to Sonia Gandhi, and former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Digvijaya Singh, who shares a close personal equation with Rahul Gandhi, are also among the frontrunners. Party treasurer Pawan Kumar Bansal’s name is also being mentioned as a possible contender for the post after he took a nomination form from the Congress office.
On Wednesday, Sonia Gandhi consulted senior party leaders Ambika Soni and A K Antony, who was called from Kerala where he is leading a retired life, on the Rajasthan crisis. She was advised to meet Gehlot one last time to try and iron out the differences.
The two central observers – Ajay Maken and Mallikarjun Kharge – have shielded Gehlot in their report after returning from Jaipur where they were not able to meet the party MLAs loyal to the chief minister. These MLAs are opposed to the leadership’s plan to replace Gehlot with his former deputy Sachin Pilot and refused to sign a resolution authorising the party president to choose Gehlot’s successor.
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Sonia seeks report on Jaipur rebellion, Gehlot less likely now to be party president
By PTI
JAIPUR/ NEW DELHI: Upset over an open rebellion in Rajasthan, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Monday sought a written report on it from party observers Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken as the chances of Ashok Gehlot becoming the party chief receded and other names cropped up for the post.
Kharge and Maken, who were sent as observers to Jaipur for a Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting, briefed Gandhi in the evening after their return to Delhi and termed the parallel meet held by Gehlot loyalists as “indiscipline”.
They are expected to recommend disciplinary action against those behind the move, including minister Shanti Dhariwal and Rajasthan Congress chief whip Mahesh Joshi.
Gehlot loyalists had submitted resignation letters to Assembly Speaker C P Joshi on Sunday evening, in an apparent bid to put pressure on the central leadership to pick someone from the Gehlot camp as CM if the veteran leader is elected the party president.
The loyalist MLAs indicated that they were against the appointment of Sachin Pilot, who led a rebellion against Gehlot in 2020, to the post.
On Monday, Gehlot loyalist Dhariwal accused Maken, AICC in-charge for Rajasthan, of being involved in a conspiracy to remove Gehlot as chief minister and alleged he was canvassing for Pilot.
Both Gehlot and Pilot spent the day at their Jaipur homes. Pilot met his supporters, but they refrained from publicly commenting on Sunday’s developments. Gehlot performed a Navratri puja.
Sonia Gandhi is reportedly “upset” over the Rajasthan developments as Gehlot was being considered as her successor for the top post.
Sources said Gehlot told the two observers that he is not behind the Jaipur development and the MLAs involved in it were not listening to him.
But the drama put a question mark on whether Gehlot would still run for the party president’s post or someone else would replace him as a candidate supported by the current leadership.
Names of senior party leaders Kharge, Kamal Nath, Digvijaya Singh, Sushilkumar Shinde, Mukul Wasnik and Kumari Selja are now also doing the rounds for the post.
Congress leader Kamal Nath, who met Sonia Gandhi Monday, ruled himself out as a candidate.
He has reportedly stepped in as a troubleshooter for his party. Kharge and Maken are likely to submit their report to Gandhi about the crisis in the party’s state unit by Wednesday.
After a nearly one and half hour-long meeting with Gandhi, Maken told reporters that it was “unfortunate” that the CLP meet could not be held.
AICC General Secretary-Organisation K C Venugopal was also present during the meeting with Gandhi.
“Kharge ji and I have apprised the Congress president of the CLP meeting in Rajasthan. The Congress president has sought a written report on the entire chronology, which we will submit by late night or tomorrow,” Maken said.
“When a CLP meeting is held, holding a parallel meeting of MLAs is prima facie indiscipline,” he said.
Accusing the MLAs in the Gehlot camp of “indiscipline”, Maken said their demand setting conditions for a resolution authorising the party president to pick the next chief minister was a “conflict of interest”.
“In the 75 years of Congress history, there has never been a conditional resolution. The resolution is one line only. Everything is told to the Congress president and then a decision is taken,” he told reporters in Jaipur.
“The resolution should not have any conflict of interest,” he said, elaborating that anyone contesting the election could become party president and then decide on the resolution.
He said there was a clear direction to them from Sonia Gandhi that “we speak to every MLA and submit a report, and then the Congress president would have taken a call after speaking to everyone”.
He said representatives of some MLAs came to them in Jaipur to put forward three conditions.
One of them was that the decision on the resolution would be taken after the organisational polls, and this should be part of the resolution.
In an indirect reference to Gehlot, he asked how is it possible that a person authorising the Congress president to take a call on the next CM, himself takes a decision on it after winning the party election.
“If this is not a conflict of interest, then what is,” he said.
Maken said the MLAs loyal to Gehlot wanted to meet them in groups and were told by him and Kharge that there was no precedent for this. One-on-one meetings are held during CLP meets so that MLAs can express themselves freely, he said.
Adding to the turmoil, Congress chief whip in Rajasthan Assembly Mahesh Joshi said the party MLAs have no objection to whoever is made the chief minister, but the final decision of the high command should be agreeable to them.
“The doubts of the MLAs should be cleared by the high command and then whatever decision is taken will be accepted. We do not have any objection if anyone is made the chief minister but the final decision should have consensus,” Joshi said.
Congress sources said 82 MLAs loyal to Gehlot are likely to hold another meeting to decide their next course of action.
They say they want someone who stood with the Congress government during the political crisis in Rajasthan in 2020 to be the next CM. In July 2020, Pilot and 18 other party MLAs rebelled against Gehlot’s leadership. The Congress has 108 MLAs in the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly.
JAIPUR/ NEW DELHI: Upset over an open rebellion in Rajasthan, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Monday sought a written report on it from party observers Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken as the chances of Ashok Gehlot becoming the party chief receded and other names cropped up for the post.
Kharge and Maken, who were sent as observers to Jaipur for a Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting, briefed Gandhi in the evening after their return to Delhi and termed the parallel meet held by Gehlot loyalists as “indiscipline”.
They are expected to recommend disciplinary action against those behind the move, including minister Shanti Dhariwal and Rajasthan Congress chief whip Mahesh Joshi.
Gehlot loyalists had submitted resignation letters to Assembly Speaker C P Joshi on Sunday evening, in an apparent bid to put pressure on the central leadership to pick someone from the Gehlot camp as CM if the veteran leader is elected the party president.
The loyalist MLAs indicated that they were against the appointment of Sachin Pilot, who led a rebellion against Gehlot in 2020, to the post.
On Monday, Gehlot loyalist Dhariwal accused Maken, AICC in-charge for Rajasthan, of being involved in a conspiracy to remove Gehlot as chief minister and alleged he was canvassing for Pilot.
Both Gehlot and Pilot spent the day at their Jaipur homes. Pilot met his supporters, but they refrained from publicly commenting on Sunday’s developments. Gehlot performed a Navratri puja.
Sonia Gandhi is reportedly “upset” over the Rajasthan developments as Gehlot was being considered as her successor for the top post.
Sources said Gehlot told the two observers that he is not behind the Jaipur development and the MLAs involved in it were not listening to him.
But the drama put a question mark on whether Gehlot would still run for the party president’s post or someone else would replace him as a candidate supported by the current leadership.
Names of senior party leaders Kharge, Kamal Nath, Digvijaya Singh, Sushilkumar Shinde, Mukul Wasnik and Kumari Selja are now also doing the rounds for the post.
Congress leader Kamal Nath, who met Sonia Gandhi Monday, ruled himself out as a candidate.
He has reportedly stepped in as a troubleshooter for his party. Kharge and Maken are likely to submit their report to Gandhi about the crisis in the party’s state unit by Wednesday.
After a nearly one and half hour-long meeting with Gandhi, Maken told reporters that it was “unfortunate” that the CLP meet could not be held.
AICC General Secretary-Organisation K C Venugopal was also present during the meeting with Gandhi.
“Kharge ji and I have apprised the Congress president of the CLP meeting in Rajasthan. The Congress president has sought a written report on the entire chronology, which we will submit by late night or tomorrow,” Maken said.
“When a CLP meeting is held, holding a parallel meeting of MLAs is prima facie indiscipline,” he said.
Accusing the MLAs in the Gehlot camp of “indiscipline”, Maken said their demand setting conditions for a resolution authorising the party president to pick the next chief minister was a “conflict of interest”.
“In the 75 years of Congress history, there has never been a conditional resolution. The resolution is one line only. Everything is told to the Congress president and then a decision is taken,” he told reporters in Jaipur.
“The resolution should not have any conflict of interest,” he said, elaborating that anyone contesting the election could become party president and then decide on the resolution.
He said there was a clear direction to them from Sonia Gandhi that “we speak to every MLA and submit a report, and then the Congress president would have taken a call after speaking to everyone”.
He said representatives of some MLAs came to them in Jaipur to put forward three conditions.
One of them was that the decision on the resolution would be taken after the organisational polls, and this should be part of the resolution.
In an indirect reference to Gehlot, he asked how is it possible that a person authorising the Congress president to take a call on the next CM, himself takes a decision on it after winning the party election.
“If this is not a conflict of interest, then what is,” he said.
Maken said the MLAs loyal to Gehlot wanted to meet them in groups and were told by him and Kharge that there was no precedent for this. One-on-one meetings are held during CLP meets so that MLAs can express themselves freely, he said.
Adding to the turmoil, Congress chief whip in Rajasthan Assembly Mahesh Joshi said the party MLAs have no objection to whoever is made the chief minister, but the final decision of the high command should be agreeable to them.
“The doubts of the MLAs should be cleared by the high command and then whatever decision is taken will be accepted. We do not have any objection if anyone is made the chief minister but the final decision should have consensus,” Joshi said.
Congress sources said 82 MLAs loyal to Gehlot are likely to hold another meeting to decide their next course of action.
They say they want someone who stood with the Congress government during the political crisis in Rajasthan in 2020 to be the next CM. In July 2020, Pilot and 18 other party MLAs rebelled against Gehlot’s leadership. The Congress has 108 MLAs in the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly.
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Haryana RS polls: BJP’s Krishan Panwar, Independent candidate win, Congress’ Ajay Maken loses
By PTI
CHANDIGARH The BJP’s Krishan Lal Panwar and Independent candidate Kartikeya Sharma, backed by the saffron party and its ally JJP, have won the two Rajya Sabha seats from Haryana, officials said early Saturday, after the counting of votes which was delayed by hours over allegation of violation of rules. Senior Congress leader Ajay Maken did not get enough votes.
According to a senior Election Commission official here, Panwar got 36 votes, while Sharma got 23 first preference votes and six transferred from the BJP, taking his tally to 29. Congress MLA and the party’s authorised polling agent BB Batra said while the party’s Kuldeep Bishnoi cross-voted, the vote of another party MLA was declared invalid.
The counting of votes began past midnight Friday after the Election Commission gave the go-ahead. The counting was held up after the BJP and an Independent candidate backed by it had alleged violation of rules and demanded the votes of two Congress MLAs be declared invalid. Election Commission sources in Delhi said the demand was rejected.
Panwar and Sharma had written to the EC, alleging Congress MLAs Kiran Choudhary and B B Batra showed their ballot papers to unauthorised persons after marking them and that the episodes were recorded by cameras.
The Congress had also approached the Election Commission accusing the BJP of trying to defeat the process of free and fair election and demanded immediate declaration of results.
89 of a total of 90 MLAs in Haryana had cast their votes while Independent MLA Balraj Kundu had abstained from voting.
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Punjab polls: Ajay Maken in top Congress post irks Amarinder, Akalis
Express News Service
CHANDIGARH: Amarinder Singh today lashed out at the Congress high command for appointing Ajay Maken as the Chairman of the Screening Committee for shortlisting candidates for the 2022 assembly elections in Punjab. Maken is nephew of Lalit Maken, who was one of the main culprits of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Delhi.
Amarinder said that the Congress could not have nominated a worst person than Maken, at a time when the central government is moving ahead with prosecution of another culprit, Sajjan Kumar, while the Congress is rewarding the Makens and that too in Punjab, thus rubbing salt into Punjabis’ wounds.
“The Congress party should have avoided naming someone like Maken, as the name itself draws derision and revulsion in Punjab for the involvement of his late uncle in the anti-Sikh riots where innocent victims were burnt alive to death”, the former chief minister said, while adding, even otherwise Maken was not qualified enough to head the Screening Committee with veteran leaders like Ambika Soni and Sunil Jakhar being kept under him.
The Shiromani Akali Dal also questioned his appointment and said that it indicated the concern that the Gandhi family and the Congress high command have for the Sikhs and their sentiments Maken, who is the Congress general secretary, was appointed the chairman of the screening committee for the shortlisting of candidates for the Punjab Assembly polls.
Singh also dubbed Maken a “failed politician”, saying under him the party lost two successive Assembly polls in Delhi.
“Maken is the nephew of Lalit Maken, who was one of the main culprits of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Delhi. The Congress could not have nominated a worse person than Maken for the job,” the former chief minister said in a statement.
Singh said while the Centre is going ahead with the “prosecution of another culprit, Sajjan Kumar, the Congress is rewarding the Makens and that too in Punjab, thus rubbing salt into Punjabis’ wounds”.
“The Congress should have avoided naming someone like Maken as the name itself draws derision and revulsion in Punjab for the involvement of his late uncle in the anti-Sikh riots where innocent victims were burnt alive to death,” he said.
Reacting to Maken’s appointment, Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia in a statement said, “This is a true indicator of the concern that the Gandhi family and the Congress high command have for the Sikhs and their sentiments.”
Asking the Congress what message it was sending to the Sikh community by making Maken the chairman of the committee, he claimed that the party was bent upon spoiling communal peace in Punjab by resorting to such appointments.
“It is clear that the Gandhi family is following its age-old policy of divide and rule by deliberately inflaming passions and creating a wedge among different sections of society,” the SAD leader alleged.
Majithia also expressed surprise that neither Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi nor his deputy Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa or state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu had objected to Maken’s appointment.
Singh, meanwhile, claimed that Maken was not qualified enough to head the screening committee with veteran leaders like Ambika Soni and Sunil Jakhar under him.
He claimed that Maken had presided over two successive defeats of the party in the Delhi Assembly elections, drawing back-to-back blanks.
“With someone who has presided over the virtual wiping out of the party in Delhi, now being handed over the job in Punjab, the fate of the party can be anybody’s guess,” he said.
“After ensuring that the Congress gets zero seats in two successive elections in Delhi in 2014 and 2019, he has now been dispatched to ensure that the same feat is achieved in Punjab as well,” Singh said.
The former chief minister said this clearly indicates that the Congress has admitted to defeat before the elections by appointing “a failed politician”, who lost the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections, losing even his deposit in the Vidhan Sabha.
Singh was forced to resign as the Punjab chief minister amid a power tussle with Sidhu.
He floated his own party Punjab Lok Congress to fight the elections.
(With PTI Inputs)
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Congress MLA Khiladi Lal Bairwa meets Ajay Maken after Rajasthan cabinet reshuffle
By PTI
JAIPUR: Congress MLA Khiladi Lal Bairwa on Sunday met AICC general secretary Ajay Maken here.
While party sources said Bairwa was in the race to become a minister but was not inducted in the Sunday reshuffle, Bairwa said there was no feeling of resentment in him and he had certain things in his mind about which he went to speak to Maken.
He however refused to elaborate what was in his mind.
“I will not tell you this,” Bairwa, a Dalit leader, told reporters.
Pradesh Congress Committee chief Govind Singh Dotasra said there was no resentment among the party leaders over the cabinet reshuffle.
Fifteen ministers were sworn-in on Sunday, in a much-awaited expansion of the council of ministers in the state.
Bairwa is MLA from Dholpur Baseri assembly seat in Rajasthan.
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No leadership change in Rajasthan, Gehlot has MLAs’ support: Congress leader
By PTI
JAIPUR: Ruling out the possibility of leadership change in Rajasthan like Punjab, Congress leader Harish Choudhary on Monday said that majority of the MLAs are with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
Choudhary, who is the Rajasthan revenue minister and was appointed observer along with Ajay Maken to handle the crisis in the Punjab Congress, also asserted that the leadership change there was done in a democratic manner.
“More than 100 MLAs of Rajasthan are with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. Therefore, there cannot be, in any way, correlation between the two (states),” Choudhary told reporters here, while replying to queries.
He said he does not see “any camp” in Rajasthan though there can be differences of opinion among the leaders.
Choudhary said that his role in Punjab was limited.
Congress veteran Amarinder Singh was replaced by Dalit leader Charanjit Singh Channi as chief minister following a bitter factional fighting in the state unit.
“It happened in a democratic manner. Punjab MLAs wanted a change in leadership. The party high command allowed this and a proposal was passed in the Congress Legislature Party meeting,” Choudhary said.
On former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot’s recent meetings with Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi, he said that Pilot is a member of the Congress family and meeting Rahul Gandhi or Priyanka Gandhi is natural About the possibility of cabinet reshuffle in Rajasthan, he said that it is the prerogative of the chief minister.
Gehlot had last year survived an open revolt by Pilot whose camp is seen to have become active again in recent months.
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NMP, note ban Centre’s ‘twin babies’ to loot people: Congress leader Ajay Maken
By PTI
RAIPUR: Senior Congress leader Ajay Maken on Friday said the Centre’s recently announced National Monetisation Pipeline and the 2016 demonetisation move were “twin babies” aimed at “looting” the people of the country.
The NMP, announced by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on August 23, aims to unlock monetary value in brownfield assets across sectors ranging from roads to railways over a four-year period till fiscal 2025.
Addressing a press conference in Rajiv Bhavan, the headquarters of the Chhattisgarh Congress, Maken said, “In the name of development, the Modi government gave birth to twin babies, one was demonetisation and the other one is monetisation. Both are of the same nature.”
“While demonetisation (note ban) looted poor and small businessmen, the heritage of the country is now being looted through monetisation. Both were aimed at benefiting a few capitalists. The most shocking and suspicious part is that this (NMP) was decided secretly and announced suddenly, which raises doubts over the intention of the government.” he added.
Maken alleged the main objective of NMP was to create a monopoly of a few “selected industrialist friends”, adding that sectors like railways, roads, airlines were of strategic importance which “facilitate movement of the defence forces in times of war”.
Without naming the BJP, the former Union minister asked if privatising sectors with strategic importance and selling items related to national security to foreign forces directly or indirectly was “nationalism”.
The AICC general secretary also said the Centre was lying by claiming the ownership of the assets would remain with the government under NMP.
The Congress-led UPA government had decided that assets with strategic importance would never be privatised nor would they be allowed to pass into the hands of foreign powers in any way, Maken said.
The Congress leader said various state governments had given land on concessional rates to PSUs.
“Since land is a state subject, the Centre should have taken state governments into confidence before announcing the NMP. Their (Centre) intention does not seem right,” he added.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel was also present at the press conference.