Former Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit appointed as state Congress Chief

Sheila Dikshit has been appointed as Delhi Congress Chief on Thursday. She has been taken the charge after Ajay Maken resigned from the post in January.

Speaking to the media, she said, "I am in good health and I feel honoured to serve my party."

Ajay Maken congratulated Dikshit following the announcement.

READ | Former CM Sheila Dikshit May Succeed Ajay Maken As Delhi Congress Chief: Sources

As per sources to PTI, Sheila Dikshit is willing to join hands with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for the Lok Sabha 2019 polls. Sources also said that Maken had resigned because he was not willing to form the coalition with AAP.

Dikshit will be following the directive from the Congress High Command to ally with AAP, say the sources.

"The party will decide, the high command, Rahul Gandhi and all will decide and whatever they decide will be acceptable to all of us," Ms Dikshit had told to media earlier.

READ | Ajay Maken Quits As Congress Delhi Chief, Resignation Accepted By Rahul Gandhi: Sources

Sheila Dikshit had served as the Chief Minister of Delhi for three terms before AAP's Arvind Kejriwal succeeded her in December 2013 with a record mandate.

In January, months ahead of the critical 2019 Lok Sabha polls and with just about a year to go for the assembly elections in Delhi, the Congress party's Delhi chief Ajay Maken had resigned from the post and his resignation has been accepted by Rahul Gandhi, as per sources.

The sources added that Ajay Maken met with the Congress president on Thursday and that he will only continue to hold the post till the appointment of the next Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee chief. 

READ | As Congress Issues Denials, Is This The Real Reason Its Delhi Chief Ajay Maken Resigned?