With resignations of Phoolka and Maken, AAP-Congress alliance speculation gets strength

In a big political development, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee President Ajay Maken has resigned from his post. Party President Rahul Gandhi has accepted his resignation after a meeting with Maken and Delhi Congress party affairs in-charge P C Chacko held on Thursday. Taking to Twitter, Maken said, “I would like to thank the Delhi Congress workers, the media who provided coverage to the party and our party president Rahul Gandhi for their love and support ever since I took charge of the state unit after the Assembly elections in 2015.”

Ajay Maken was entrusted with the responsibility of Delhi Congress President in 2015. He has been twice elected to Parliament and thrice elected to the Delhi Legislative assembly. He has also served as a minister in Manmohan Singh’s tenure.

Also in 2017, Ajay Maken had stepped down following the poor performance of the Congress party in the Delhi civic polls. However, his resignation was not accepted and Rahul Gandhi somehow convinced him to continue. 

One of the reasons speculated behind Maken’s resignation is his tough stand against any alliance with AAP. Ajay Maken has been vehemently against any alliance with the AAP in Delhi for the upcoming 2019 general elections. After his resignation, the doors seem to be open for the AAP to enter into an alliance with the Congress. It appears that Maken sacrificed his post for the party so that it becomes possible for the Congress to clear the differences with AAP before the 2019 general elections. The question which arises is whether the Congress tries to forge an alliance with the AAP at the cost of one of the old guards of their party. Moreover, in past Maken has openly been declining to forge an alliance with the AAP.

For more details: Congress rejects Kejriwal’s desperate request for a pre-poll alliance 

In another huge political development, advocate HS Phoolka also resigned from the Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday. He tweeted, “I have resigned from AAP & handed over resignation to Kejriwal ji today. Though he asked me not to resign but I insisted. Will be briefing media tomorrow at 4pm at Press Club, Raisina Rd, New Delhi to explain the Reason of leaving AAP & my further plans.”

Phoolka’s resignation comes amid speculation over the possibility of an alliance between the Congress and the AAP ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Phoolka had distanced himself from the party since the talks of an alliance between AAP and the Congress surfaced. Phoolka has been representing the anti-Sikh riots victims. He has also been upset over AAP’s backtrack on an amendment aimed at stripping of the Bharat Ratna of former PM Rajiv Gandhi for his comments on the 1984 Sikh-riots. In the past, he has alleged that 1984 case files went missing after Kejriwal became CM.

Last week, in an interview with Times of India HS Phoolka had said, “It was a mistake to join politics in 2014. I should not have done it. I thought that there would be a common platform against the Congress. Had I not reconsidered my decision and resigned (as the leader of opposition in Punjab assembly) to pursue this case July 2017 onwards when the hearing started, we may not have seen this result.”

https://twitter.com/c_aashish/status/1081052389694525440

Both Maken and Phoolka have strongly opposed any alliance between their respective parties for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Now, with both of them having resigned, it becomes safe to conclude that there is a huge possibility of the pre-poll alliance between AAP and Congress.