Arvinder Singh Lovely, Delhi Congress president, has tendered his resignation from his post, citing the party’s decision to ally with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as a key reason.
In his resignation letter addressed to Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge, Lovely expressed his disagreement with the alliance, particularly due to AAP’s history of leveling false corruption charges against Congress and the incarceration of several AAP cabinet ministers on corruption charges.
Lovely, who assumed the position in August 2023, lamented the unilateral decisions taken by the AICC General Secretary (Delhi In-charge), which hindered the functioning of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC). He highlighted instances where his proposals for senior appointments and block presidents were rejected by the AICC General Secretary.
Despite his reservations, Lovely stated that he publicly supported the alliance and ensured compliance with the party’s decision. However, he criticized the allocation of three parliamentary seats to contest in the general elections and raised concerns about the comments made by the North-East Delhi candidate, Kanhaiya Kumar, praising the AAP government’s initiatives.
Lovely emphasized that such statements did not align with the local party workers’ understanding of the alliance, which they perceived as a compromise for electoral gains rather than an endorsement of AAP’s policies.
Concluding his letter, Lovely expressed his inability to safeguard the interests of the party workers and deemed it inappropriate to continue in his role.
Lovely’s resignation underscores the internal dissent within the Delhi Congress regarding the alliance with AAP, highlighting the challenges faced by the party in navigating political alliances and maintaining unity among its members.