New Delhi:
Arvinder Singh Lovely, who stepped down from the post of Congress chief in Delhi earlier today, sparking massive speculation about a switch to the BJP, has made it clear that he is not joining any party. Mr Lovely said he did not resign from Congress's primary membership and only resigned from his post as a mark of protest over ties with Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party.
“This pain is not just mine. It belongs to all Congress leaders. I shared it with Mallikarjun Kharge in a letter,” Mr Lovely said at a press conference. “And those of you spreading rumors that I did this because I was angry about the ticket distribution, know that I introduced the candidates at a press conference three days ago,” he added.
In a letter to Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Mr Lovely had pointed out the jailing of several AAP ministers in connection with corruption cases. Yet, the Congress formed an alliance with Arvind Kejriwal's party for the Lok Sabha elections. Unable to protect the interests of Congress workers in Delhi, he resigned, he added.
Mr. Lovely said that since he announced his resignation, about 35 leaders have called or met with him.
He thanked them and said he has only resigned from the post of Delhi Congress chief and is still with the party. “At this time I have no plans to join any other party,” he added.
The Congress and the AAP, both part of the opposition bloc INDIA and known for their differences, have entered into a seat-sharing agreement in Delhi amid strong resistance from their supporters.
Similar resistance elsewhere, especially in Punjab, has scuttled any possibility of seat-sharing. In many seats, the two parties are in direct conflict, violating the INDIA bloc's one-on-one contest plan.
For the Delhi Congress – which was swept from power by the AAP leaders' anti-corruption campaign even before the party's formation, the association with Arvind Kejriwal is abhorrent.
The irony of the arrest of AAP ministers on corruption charges has not been lost on many in the Delhi Congress.
Yet, several Congress members, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Sandeep Dikshit of Delhi Congress and Mr Lovely, had extended support to him after Arvind Kejriwal's arrest.