Failure to win seat in Delhi could see Maken quit Congress posts

According to sources, Maken is clear in his mind that he would not continue as an AICC general secretary or the head of its Communications Department if he loses

Congress general secretary Ajay Maken could resign from his post if he fails to win from the Sadar Bazar seat in the Delhi Assembly polls, sources said.

Maken, who was the party's face for the Delhi polls, is locked in a tough three-way battle for the seat against the BJP and AAP candidates. The counting of votes for the polls is to be held tomorrow.

Sources in the party said that Maken is clear in his mind that he would not continue as an AICC general secretary or the head of its Communications Department if he loses his Assembly seat. He is learnt to have discussed the matter with his close party colleagues.

A pre-poll survey report had recently suggested that he was the third favourite in the race for the Sadar Bazar seat and was the preferred choice of only 11 per cent of the voters there.

Maken was made AICC general secretary and the chairman of its Communications Department in June, 2013, soon after he had resigned as the Union Minister for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation.

He was made the Campaign Committee Chief for the Delhi polls with three-time former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit's role having been curtailed by the party.

Asked about the exit poll surveys predicting only two to four seats for Congress, the AICC general secretary had said, "If the exit poll predictions come true, I will take full responsibility. You cannot separate accountability from responsibility. If anything like this happens, I am responsible. I have to be held accountable."

Maken also said that were the exit polls predictions to be proven correct, it would only mean that the results of the 2014 Assembly polls in Delhi are an extension of the 2013 elections.

"People perhaps felt that the 49-days for which AAP remained in power was not enough and hence they wanted to give Arvind Kejriwal a full five-year term to fulfil his promises," he said.

In the last Delhi polls, Congress had finished a poor third with just eight seats while AAP had garnered 28 seats and BJP had emerged as the single-largest party with 31 seats.

Congress had later given outside support to AAP to form a government here but Kejriwal had resigned from his chief ministership over the Lokpal Bill issue after 49 days in power.