Delhi Congress chief Arvinder Singh Lovely resigns, cites party's alliance with AAP

Delhi Congress President Arvinder Singh Lovely has tendered his resignation, citing the party's decision to ally with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi. In a letter addressed to Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge, Lovely expressed his concerns over the alliance and the unilateral decisions made by the party leadership.

In his resignation letter, Lovely stated, "The Delhi Congress Unit was against an alliance with a party which was formed on the sole basis of leveling false, fabricated, and malafide corruption charges against the Congress Party. Despite that, the Party decided to ally with the AAP in Delhi..."

Lovely, who took charge as Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) President in August 2023, highlighted several issues that led to his decision to step down. He mentioned that the All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary (Delhi In-charge) vetoed senior Delhi Congress leaders' unanimous choices. This included appointing senior officials within the DPCC, with the AICC General Secretary blocking key appointments such as the Media head and Block Presidents in Delhi.

Regarding the alliance with AAP, Lovely expressed dissatisfaction with the party's decision, especially considering AAP's history of accusations against the Congress over corruption. He emphasized, "The Delhi Congress Unit was against an alliance with a Party which was formed on the sole basis of leveling false, fabricated and malafide corruption charges against the Congress Party and in turn, whose half of the cabinet ministers are presently in jail on corruption charges."

Lovely also pointed out the challenges faced within the alliance, including the allocation of parliamentary seats and statements made by North-East Delhi candidate Kanhaiya Kumar praising AAP's achievements. He remarked that such statements did not sit well with the local party unit, as the alliance was viewed as a compromise for electoral gains rather than an endorsement of AAP's policies.