New Delhi: Congress leader Ajay Maken has quit as the party’s Rajasthan in-charge, expressing his disagreement with chief minister Ashok Gehlot’s refusal in late September to resign from the post in order to contest for the party president’s post.
At the time, over 90 MLAs loyal to Gehlot had refused to attend a party meeting where Gehlot’s replacement was supposed to be chosen. Instead, they went to the speaker and offered their resignation to protest against the party leadership “forcing” Gehlot to resign.
According to NDTV, Maken expected the Congress to take action against these MLAs, but this has not happened.
Indian Express reported that Maken had written to Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on November 8, saying that he no longer wanted to continue in his position. Maken was particularly upset about the lack of action against three leaders — Rajasthan parliamentary affairs minister Shanti Dhariwal, party chief whip Mahesh Joshi and Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation chairman Dharmendra Rathore despite. The party disciplinary committee had served them show-cause notices, but no further action was taken. Instead, they have been given oranisational responsibilities during the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
The letter reportedly claimed that Maken felt he no longer had “moral authority” over the state leaders, given the way things had gone in September and the lack of subsequent resolution.
“I don’t have any moral authority left. With what authority I will interact with the MLAs or discharge my duties as in-charge. There was grave indiscipline but there was no action. Not even an apology,” Maken reportedly told Kharge.
Kharge, according to the Indian Express, had not accepted Maken’s resignation at the time. After waiting for a week, Maken has now resigned.
