Ajay Maken | |
|---|---|
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| Treasurer of Indian National Congress | |
| Assumed office 1 October 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Pawan Kumar Bansal |
| Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha | |
| Assumed office 4 April 2024 | |
| Preceded by | L. Hanumanthaiah |
| Constituency | Karnataka |
| Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation | |
| In office 28 October 2012 – 15 June 2013 | |
| Prime Minister | Manmohan Singh |
| Preceded by | Selja Kumari |
| Succeeded by | Girija Vyas |
| Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Youth Affairs and Sports | |
| In office May 2011 – 28 October 2012 | |
| Prime Minister | Manmohan Singh |
| Preceded by | M. S. Gill |
| Succeeded by | Jitendra Singh |
| Minister of State for Home Affairs | |
| In office 28 May 2009 – May 2011 | |
| Prime Minister | Manmohan Singh |
| Minister | P. Chidambaram |
| Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha | |
| In office 13 May 2004 – 16 May 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Jagmohan |
| Succeeded by | Meenakshi Lekhi |
| Constituency | New Delhi |
| Member of Delhi Legislative Assembly | |
| In office 1993–2004 | |
| Preceded by | constituency created |
| Succeeded by | Ramesh Lamba |
| Constituency | Rajouri Garden |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1964-01-12)12 January 1964 (age 61) |
| Political party | Indian National Congress |
| Spouse | Radhika Maken |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence | New Delhi |
| Alma mater | University of Delhi |
As of 16 September, 2006 Source:[1] | |
Ajay Maken (born 12 January 1964) is a politician from theIndian National Congress party. He is the treasurer of theAll India Congress Committee (AICC) and member of theCongress Working Committee (CWC).[1] A three-time member of theParliament of India[2] and three-timeMLA,Delhi Legislative Assembly, he was formerly a minister in the cabinet of Prime MinisterManmohan Singh[3] and a minister in the cabinet of Delhi Chief MinisterSheila Dikshit.
He has been thrice[4] elected as a Member of theParliament of India, and three times to theDelhi Legislative Assembly. He was the President ofDelhi Pradesh Congress Committee.[5]
Ajay Maken was appointed as a member of Empowered Action Group of Leaders and Experts (EAGLE) which was constituted by Indian National Congress on 2 February 2025 to monitor the conduct of free and fair elections by theElection Commission of India.[6]
Maken had been a two-time Member ofParliament of India (Lok Sabha from 2004 to 2014)[7] and was elected for the third time[8] as MemberParliament of IndiaRajya Sabha in February 2024,[8][9] in addition to being a three-time Member of Legislative Assembly of Delhi (from 1993 to 2004).
At the National level, Maken was the youngest Union Cabinet Minister from the Congress Party for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (2012–13),[10][11] Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Sports and Youth Affairs (2011–12),[12] Union Minister of State for Home Affairs (2009–2011),[13] Union Minister of State for Urban Development (2006–2007).[14]
At the State level, he was Speaker of Delhi Legislative Assembly (2003–04)[15] at the age of 39, Maken was the youngest Speaker in the Country, a Cabinet Minister of Power, Transport and Tourism (2001-2003) at the age of 37, the youngest until that time and Parliamentary Secretary to the Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit (1998-2001).
Maken was the firstNSUI candidate in a direct election to be elected as the President ofDelhi University Students Union (DUSU) in 1985,[16] the first B.Sc. Chemistry (Hons.) final year student in this post.[5]
In the2004 general election, Maken represented the Congress for the New Delhi constituency. He defeated a sitting Cabinet Minister,Jagmohan, from theBharatiya Janata Party.[17]
In the2009 general elections, he retained the New Delhi Parliamentary constituency. He was appointed the Minister of State for Home Affairs.[citation needed]
In 2011, Maken was appointed the Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs[18] after the2010 Commonwealth Games scam, replacing M. S. Gill as Sports Minister.[19]
He was appointed Minister for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (I/C) in 2012.[20]
Maken was defeated in the2014 general elections by the BJP candidateMeenakshi Lekhi. He served as the Congress General Secretary until 2015, when he resigned after the party's failure to win any seat in the2015 Delhi Legislative Assembly election.[21]
Ajay Maken is married and has three children. He received his education inSt. Xavier's School, Delhi.[22] Maken completed his B.Sc degree in Chemistry atHansraj College, Delhi University.[23]Lalit Maken, Ajay Maken's uncle was elected to Lok Sabha in 1984 but was assassinated in 1985 for his alleged role in the massacre of Sikhs in Delhi in November 1984.[24]
