From DPCC Chief to Now A BJP Man: The Many Sides of Arvinder Singh Lovely

New Delhi: Days after tendering his resignation as the Delhi Congress president in opposition to the party’s alliance with the INDI bloc partner AAP and amid dissatisfaction over candidate selection, Arvinder Singh Lovely officially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday. Alongside him, four other former Congress leaders also made the transition, including Rajkumar Chauhan, Neeraj Basoya, Naseeb Singh, and Delhi youth Congress chief Amit Malik. 

After joining BJP, Arvinder Singh Lovely said, "We have been given an opportunity to fight for the people of Delhi under the banner of BJP and under the leadership of Prime Minister... I have full hope and there is no doubt about it that the BJP government is being formed in the country with an overwhelming majority. In the coming days, the flag of the BJP will fly in Delhi too..."

The joining ceremony took place in the presence of Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri. 

“I want to assure you that your services will be utilized and will be utilized very effectively... Our party needs people like you. You are joining our family and I want to welcome you and congratulate you,” says Puri as Lovely joins BJP at the party headquarters in Delhi. 

For the unversed, Lovely resigned from his position as the party's Delhi chief in 2015 as well. Subsequently, he joined the BJP in 2017, only to rejoin the Congress nine months later.

Arvinder Lovely had reaffirmed he 'won't join any party’ 

Earlier, Lovely clarified that his resignation does not imply leaving the party altogether, but rather stepping down from his leadership role. “I have resigned from the post of President of Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee. I have not resigned from Congress. I will continue to meet with party workers. My resignation is not for myself but for the Congress workers,” he had said. 

"The reason for the resignation is not because I didn't get the ticket... This was because of the principles," Lovely added. 

Arvinder Singh Lovely felt ‘handicapped’: Reads resignation letter 

In his resignation letter addressed to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Arvinder Singh Lovely expressed feeling "handicapped" as all unanimous decisions taken by senior Delhi unit leaders have been “unilaterally vetoed” by AICC Delhi in-charge Deepak Babria. 

Lovely conveyed his decision with a “heavy heart”, citing his inability to “protect the interests of party workers” as the reason for stepping down from the position of DPCC President. 

Despite his initial support for the alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Lovely emphasized his inability to safeguard the concerns of party workers, prompting his resignation.

Highlighting his commitment to party interests, Lovely withdrew his name as a potential candidate for the Lok Sabha polls to prioritize other senior leaders' chances of securing tickets.