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Ajay Maken

About Ajay Maken

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Who is Ajay Maken

A member of the Indian National Congress (INC), Ajay Maken became the youngest speaker of a state legislative Assembly in 2003-04, when he assumed that role in Delhi at the age of 39. He has served two Lok Sabha terms as a member of Parliament (from 2004-2010), and three terms as a member of the Delhi legislative Assembly (1993 to 2004).
 
Born on January 12, 1964, Maken received his early education at St Xaviers School in Delhi and did his BSc Chemistry (Hons) from the Delhi University (DU). Maken became active in student politics during his college days and went on to become the first ever candidate of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), the students’ wing of the Congress party, to win election to the post of Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) in 1985.
 
Maken is credited with privatising power distribution in Delhi and moving public transport to a clean fuel system (compressed natural gas, or CNG). It was under Maken's supervision that the Delhi Metro work was sped up and officially launched on December 25, 2002.
 
Maken held several ministerial berths, such as transport and power departments, in the Sheila Dikshit-led Delhi government, and also served as the parliamentary secretary. It was during Dikshit’s tenure that the 1964-born politician became the youngest Assembly speaker. In 2004, when a United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government took office at the Centre under Manmohan Singh, Maken became the Union minister for urban affairs and sports.
 
In 2012-13, Ajay Maken was the youngest Congress member to become a Cabinet minister (for housing and urban poverty alleviation). Earlier, he had been a minister of state with independent charge. Maken also held the position of Minister of State for Home Affairs (2009-2011), and Minister of State for Urban Development (2006-2007).
 
In the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Maken contested from the New Delhi constituency and lost to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) Meenakshi Lekhi. Previously, he had won twice (in 2004 and 2009 national elections) from the same Lok Sabha constituency.
 

Latest Updates on Ajay Maken

Congress treasurer Ajay Maken said the party is exploring all legal options and would move the high court 'very soon'

Updated On: 08 Mar 2024 | 8:19 PM IST

Maken said four main bank accounts were frozen. Sources later put the number at nine

Updated On: 16 Feb 2024 | 1:36 PM IST

The accounts, including that of the Indian Youth Congress, were frozen on an Income Tax demand of Rs 210 crore for 2018-19, an election year, Maken said

Updated On: 16 Feb 2024 | 12:30 PM IST

Earlier in December, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge launched the crowdfunding campaign 'Donate for Desh' for the party ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls

Updated On: 03 Jan 2024 | 12:01 PM IST

Maken served as a minister under Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, as the Speaker of the Delhi Legislative Assembly

Updated On: 01 Oct 2023 | 7:58 PM IST

Congress leader and former Union minister Ajay Maken said Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal should follow the Sheila Dikshit model of engaging with officers respectfully

Updated On: 21 May 2023 | 8:44 PM IST

Maken on Kejriwal had said that individuals like him and his associates who face "serious corruption charges" should not be shown any sympathy or support

Updated On: 18 Apr 2023 | 7:09 AM IST

Senior Congress leader Ajay Maken has expressed his unwillingness to continue as the in-charge of Rajasthan, where he had failed to convene a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party in September

Updated On: 16 Nov 2022 | 7:28 PM IST

The observers - Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken - submitted their report to party chief Sonia Gandhi, flagging "gross indiscipline" on the part of some leaders

Updated On: 27 Sep 2022 | 8:31 PM IST

Kharge and Maken are expected to recommend disciplinary action against those behind the move, including minister Shanti Dhariwal and Rajasthan Congress chief whip Mahesh Joshi

Updated On: 26 Sep 2022 | 11:03 PM IST

Maken slammed the MLAs for setting conditions for a party resolution, terming it a "conflict of interest"

Updated On: 26 Sep 2022 | 4:20 PM IST

The Gehlot loyalists want someone from their own camp to be chosen as the next Chief Minister, instead of Pilot, who, according to them, had revolted against his own party back in 2020

Updated On: 26 Sep 2022 | 4:09 PM IST

He also said the call on his successor to head the Rajasthan government will be taken by the party's interim president, Sonia Gandhi, and the Congress's Rajasthan in-charge, Ajay Maken.

Updated On: 24 Sep 2022 | 12:45 AM IST

Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh, Ajay Maken and Abhishek Singhvi said it will not be intimidated by this kind of "cheap and petty politics" and will continue to raise people's issues.

Updated On: 03 Aug 2022 | 9:10 PM IST

Senior Congress leader Ajay Maken on Monday moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court, challenging BJP-JJP backed Independent candidate Kartikeya Sharma's win in last month's Rajya Sabha polls

Updated On: 19 Jul 2022 | 9:47 AM IST

The Congress is mulling action against Kuldeep Bishnoi for cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha polls which led to party candidate in Haryana Ajay Maken's defeat, sources said

Updated On: 11 Jun 2022 | 1:23 PM IST

The Congress has fielded its general secretary Ajay Maken for the elections, while the BJP has nominated Krishan Lal Panwar.

Updated On: 02 Jun 2022 | 10:05 PM IST

Cong is also considering setting up an 'assessment wing' to gauge performance of office bearers, Maken said, adding that good workers should be rewarded and promoted while non-performers be removed

Updated On: 13 May 2022 | 3:00 PM IST

Congress has announced committees for the 2022 Punjab Assembly polls, with AICC general secretary Ajay Maken being the chairman of the screening committee

Updated On: 07 Dec 2021 | 10:51 AM IST

The central Congress reckons most of the problems can be sorted out if the organisation can be controlled

Updated On: 02 Aug 2021 | 6:04 AM IST