Arvinder Singh Lovely, the president of Delhi Congress, tendered his resignation from his post on Sunday, citing disagreement over the party’s decision to form an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for the Lok Sabha elections 2024.
In his resignation letter, he said, “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 made a decision to ally with the AAP in Delhi.”
"We respected the Party's final decision. Not only did I publicly back the decision, I also ensured that the full State Unit fell in line with the High Command's final order. On instructions from AICC General Secretary (Organisation), I even went to the extent of visiting Mr. Kejriwal's residence on the night of his Arrest along with Mr. Subash Chopra and Mr. Sandeep Dikshit, despite the same being against my position on the matter," the letter read.
Lovely’s resignation comes in the wake of former Delhi Minister and All Inia Congress Committee member Rajkumar Chauhan’s departure from the party. Chauhan resigned after a confrontation with AICC Delhi in-charge Deepak Babria during a meeting on Sunday.
Chauhan had tendered his resignation on Wednesday morning, following the altercation with Babria, Hindustan Times reported citing a party insider. The incident occured amidst a meeting of the Delhi Congress’s disciplinary committee, raising tensions within the party.
The disciplinary committee convened on Tuesday to address the complaints against Chauhan, leaving the final decision on potential disciplinary action to the All India Congress Committee.
"However, in direct contravention of my public democratic stand, the AICC General Secretary (Delhi Incharge), distressingly, asked me to suspend Mr. Raj Kumar Chauhan (Ex-Delhi Minister) Mr. Surender Kumar (Ex-MLA) and other party functionaries from the Party. He, instead of calming the situation, further also, in public meetings, entered into numerous heated exchanges with Mr. Sandeep Dikshit. (Ex-MP), Mr. Raj Kumar Chauhan (Ex-Delhi Minister), Mr. Bhisham Sharma (Ex-MLA) and Mr. Surender Kumar (Ex-MLA)," Lovely said in his resignation letter.
Adding, "I had gratefully accepted the role as the DPCC President with the sole objective of supporting the local Congress Party Workers with whom I have an extremely close connection and life-long association. However, as a consequence of the aforementioned situation, since I cannot protect the interests of the Party Workers, I see no reason to continue in the said Post. Therefore, with great regret and an extremely leaden heart, I, Arvinder Singh Lovely, do hereby tender my resignation from the post of DPCC President".