Ajay Maken is an Indian politician. He is a member of the Indian National Congress. He is the general secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) and a member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC).
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Ajay Maken was born on Sunday, 12 January 1964 (age 59 years; as of 2023) in Delhi, India. His zodiac sign is Capricorn. Maken did his schooling at St. Xavier’s School, Delhi. Later, he pursued a Bachelor of Arts at Delhi University. He pursued a master’s degree in Public Administration at Himachal Pradesh University in 2000. He was the president of the Delhi University Students Union (1985-86).
Family
Parents & Siblings
Ajay Maken’s father, C. P. Maken, was a businessman and a politician, and his mother, Santosh Maken, is a homemaker. Ajay has 3 sisters, Nidhi, Avantika, and Nupur.
Ajay Maken’s sisters
Wife & Children
Ajay Maken got married to Radhika Maken on 21 January 1991. Radhika Menon holds a postgraduate degree in Food and Nutrition Science. The couple has 2 daughters, namely, Aarushi Maken, who is the director of Fortune IT Park Private Limited, and Ahana Maken, who is an investment banker. The couple has a son, Aujaswi Maken, who is a student at The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata.
Ajay Maken with his daughter Ahana Maken
Ajay Maken with his daughter Aarushi Maken
Ajay Maken (in the centre) with his family
Other Relatives
Ajay Maken belongs to a family of freedom fighters and politicians. Both his maternal grandfather, Jagat Ram, and paternal grandfather, O. P. Maken, were Indian freedom fighters. His uncle Satya Prakash Maken was a Metropolitan Councilor, who died at the young age of 26, which led his other Uncle Lalit Maken to join politics. Lalit Maken later became a popular Trade Union leader and also an MP; he was married to Gitanjali, who was the daughter of Shankar Dayal Sharma, the ninth President of India. In July 1985, Maken and his wife were gunned down by Harjinder Singh Jinda, Sukhdev Singh Sukha, and Ranjit Singh Gill alias Kukki outside their home in Kirti Nagar, Delhi amidst the allegations made against him for his involvement in the 1984 Sikh riots. The demise of Lalit Maken and his wife Gitanjali saw the entry of Ajay Maken into active politics.
Lalit Maken
Address
J-12/2, Rajouri Garden, New Delhi – 110 027
Signature
Career
He became an MLA at the age of 29 and parliamentary secretary to Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, when he was 34. He served as a Member of the Delhi Legislative Assembly from 1993 to 2004. In 1998, at the age of 39, he became the youngest Speaker of the Delhi assembly. He was the speaker for 3 years up until 2001.
Ajay Maken with Sheila Dikshit
Maken was elected as a Member of Parliament twice, in 2004 and 2009. In 2004, he contested the Lok Sabha elections from the New Delhi constituency and won, defeating Jagmohan, a sitting cabinet minister, of the BJP. Later, he served as the Union Minister of State for Urban Development from 2006 to 2007. In 2009, he was again elected to the Lok Sabha from the same constituency and became the Minister of State for Home Affairs. In 2011, he became the Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs. Later, he became the youngest Union Cabinet Minister for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation in 2012. He also served as the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs from 2009 to 2011. In 2014, he contested the Lok Sabha elections from the New Delhi constituency and lost to BJP’s Meenakshi Lekhi. In 2015, he resigned as the Congress General Secretary after the Congress party could not win even a single seat in the Delhi assembly elections.
Assets & Properties
Movable Assets
- Cash: Rs. 48,000
- Bank Deposits: Rs. 1,02,17,838
- Motor Vehicles: Rs. 2,13,426
- Bonds, Debentures and Shares in Companies: 30,87,353
- Other Assets (such as values of claims/interests): Rs. 14,68,037
Immovable Assets
- Non-Agricultural Land: Rs 54,80,000
- Residential Buildings: Rs 66,21,400
Note: The given estimates of movable and immovable assets are according to the year 2013. It excludes the assets owned by his wife and dependents. [1]My Neta
Net Worth
Ajay Maken’s net worth for the financial year 2013-14 was estimated to be Rs. 3 Crores. It excludes the net worth of his wife and dependents. [2]My Neta
Facts/Trivia
- Ajay Maken is the director of the Non-government corporate firm Fortune IT Park Private Limited along with his wife and daughter.
- According to Ajay Maken, he was initially not interested in joining politics; however, it was his uncles Satya Prakash Maken and Lalit Maken who motivated him to join politics. Rajiv Gandhi also inspired him to join politics following which he joined the Indian National Congress.
- When first Ajay Maken expressed his desire to become a politician, his father refused him because Ajay’s uncles, who were politicians, were killed at a very young age.
- While studying at Delhi University, Ajay started participating in political activities. He became the President of the Delhi University Student’s Union in 1985. Maken was the first NSUI candidate to be elected as the President of Delhi University.
