Will former Delhi Congress chief Arvinder Singh Lovely join BJP? What he said?

New Delhi: Arvinder Singh Lovely, who resigned from his position as the Delhi Congress chief, sparking widespread speculation about a potential shift to the BJP, has clarified that he has no intentions of joining any party. Mr. Lovely emphasized that he has not relinquished his primary membership in the Congress and merely stepped down from his role in protest against the alliance with Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party.

"This decision reflects not just my own sentiments but those of many Congress leaders. I conveyed this to Mallikarjun Kharge in a letter," Lovely stated during a press briefing. Addressing rumors that his resignation stemmed from dissatisfaction with ticket distribution, he pointed out, "I introduced the candidates three days ago at a press conference."

In his letter to Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Lovely highlighted several AAP ministers were in jail in corruption cases. Despite this, the Congress formed an alliance with Kejriwal's party for the Lok Sabha elections. Feeling unable to safeguard the interests of Delhi Congress workers, he chose to step down from his position.

'35 leaders have reached out to him after resigning'

Lovely said that since announcing his resignation, approximately 35 leaders have reached out to him. Expressing gratitude, he reiterated that he has only resigned from the role of Delhi Congress chief and remains loyal to the party. "I currently have no intentions of joining any other party," he affirmed.

The Congress and AAP, despite their historical differences, have forged a seat-sharing agreement in Delhi under the umbrella of the Opposition bloc INDIA, eliciting resistance from their respective ranks. Similar resistance in Punjab has thwarted any prospects of seat sharing. In many constituencies, the two parties find themselves in direct competition, deviating from the INDIA bloc's strategy of one-on-one contests.

For the Delhi Congress, which was ousted from power by AAP's anti-corruption campaign even before the AAP's formation, aligning with Arvind Kejriwal's party is deeply disconcerting. The irony of AAP ministers facing corruption charges has not escaped many in the Delhi Congress.

Nevertheless, following Arvind Kejriwal's arrest, several Congress leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Delhi Congress's Sandeep Dikshit, and others, extended their support to him.