On Arvinder Lovely's ‘Delhi unit against AAP pact’ remark, Sanjay Singh says ‘he played key role’

Congress leader Arvinder singh Lovely addresses a press conference at his residence, Kalindi colony after he resigned from Delhi Pradesh Congress President post

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: A day after Congress Delhi unit chief Arvinder Singh Lovely resigned from the post on April 28, claiming his opposition to an alliance with the Aam Admi Party as the reason, AAP leader Sanjay Singh alleged Lovely “played a big role” in forming allying the two parties ahead of the general elections.

“Arvinder Singh Lovely has played an important role in making an alliance with AAP. He has played a big role in forming the INDI Alliance in Delhi. When Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was being arrested, Lovely was the first from Congress to reach out. Why is he saying this? Let them know…” Singh told ANI on April 29.

Lovely’s Sudden Resignation

In his letter to the Congress National President, Mallikarjun Kharge, Lovely said that all unanimous decisions taken by the Senior Delhi Congress leaders have been unilaterally vetoed by the AICC General Secretary (Delhi In-charge).

The workers, Lovely said, were saddened by the fact that “ideals they had been fighting for during the last seven to eight years” were being compromised.

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“The Delhi Congress Unit was against an alliance with a party which was formed on the sole basis of levelling false, fabricated and malafide corruption charges against the Congress Party. Despite that, the Party made a decision to ally with the AAP in Delhi…,” he wrote in his resignation letter.

Lovely was appointed to the post in August 2023.

Not joining BJP

Lovely also clarified that he had no plans to join any other political party after speculation arose that he would replace BJP’s Harsh Malhotra from the Ease Delhi sear. Former Congress MLA Asif Mohammad Khan had claimed that BJP would field Lovely instead of Malhotra.

“I have only resigned as Delhi Congress chief, and I am not joining any political party,” Lovely said at a press conference at his residence, clarifying that he has resigned from the post of Delhi Congress chief and not the party.

“We are fighting the elections together but never did the Congress workers say that we are giving a clean chit to them or giving them credit for building schools and hospitals, which is far from the reality. Those who are saying that I have resigned out of anger over ticket (distribution), it is not like that. You all know that I introduced the candidates by holding a press conference three days ago,” Lovely said.

Lovely contested and secured 24 percent votes the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from East Delhi. He contested against the BJP’s Gautam Gambhir (who won the seat with 3.93 lakh votes), and AAP’s Atishi.

Delhi’s seven Lok Sabha seats will go to the polls in the sixth phase on May 25.