Nistula Hebbar: I'll make a better CM says Maken

BACKSTAGE

Ajay Maken, minister of state for urban development, was the Mr Middle Class of Delhi politics. He was the man who as power and transport minister oversaw the unbundling and privatisation of the Delhi Vidyut Board. He saw through the switching over of public transport to the cleaner CNG fuel and beat the other Mr Middle Class, Jagmohan, in the government officials' dominated New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency in 2004.

This progression has been halted somewhat by his championing the cause of Delhi traders, who in blatant violation of land-use laws in the city, had opened rows upon rows of shops in residential areas. Last week, Maken cleared a notification changing land-use laws for these areas allowing shops in residential colonies. With this, he has signalled his readiness to get the job he really wants, that of Delhi chief minister.

Maken, nephew of late Congress MP Lalit Maken was forced into politics when Lalit and his wife Gitanjali were shot dead by terrorists in 1985. A chemistry student in Hansraj College at that time, Maken fought and won the Delhi University Students Union presidentship in 1985-86. In 1993, he became MLA in the Delhi Assembly from the Rajouri Garden seat.

Maken, who is known for his grasp of important issues and fearlessness in dealing with complex questions was co-opted by Delhi Chief minister Sheila Dikshit in the bitterly contested arena of Delhi politics, and became power and transport minister, sharing her government's laurels in these areas.

Maken thought his progression towards his coveted job was clear when he was made Delhi Speaker, one of the youngest ever in the country. Dikshit's advocacy of her son Sandeep Dikshit's candidature from the Congress bastion of east Delhi, however, complicated things. According to those present at a fateful meeting between Dikshit and Congress President Sonia Gandhi in April 2004, recall that Gandhi wanted Dikshit to fight from New Delhi constituency (never a stronghold of the Congress), instead Dikshit offered Maken. That Maken won is a different matter, but he temporarily lost the importance of being a minister.

Since then Maken has done everything to discredit Dikshit, from attacking the privatisation of DVB to asking for her resignation. Maken has decided to give up the Mr Middle Class image to take on Dikshit and the BJP (the traditional champions of the traders) in one go.

By bringing in the notification, Maken is defiantly taking on the Supreme Court and also showing the people of Delhi that the Delhi government is all talk, while he is a man of action. There are doubts whether the Union government's notification will stand legal scrutiny. Until then, however, as the Delhi government and MCD quibble on who will seal shops, Maken exposes the Delhi government's inability to deal with the crisis.