Arvinder Singh Lovely Resigns As Delhi Congress Chief, Says ‘Not Joining Any Party'

Delhi Congress Chief Arvinder Singh Lovely on Sunday resigned from his post. In a letter to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Lovely said he is unable to continue as the president of the Delhi party unit.

Lovely clarified that he hasn't quit the Congress altogether; he's only stepping down as the Delhi party chief to protest against the tie-up with Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party.

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"This pain is not just mine. It belongs to all leaders of the Congress. I shared it with Mallikarjun Kharge in a letter," Lovely said at a press conference. 

"And those of you spreading rumours that I have done this because I was upset over ticket distribution, you know I introduced the candidates three days ago at a press conference," he added.

In his letter, Lovely has written, "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...."

Lovely had assumed charge of the post in August last year.

Lovely also said Congress's alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi, which he said the entire state unit was against.

"...in turn, whose half of the cabinet ministers are in jail on corruption charges," he wrote in his resignation letter.

He said that even then, when the alliance was formed, he respected the party's decision and ensured the Delhi Congress unit was in line with the high command's decision.

"I even went to the extent of visiting Mr Kejriwal's (Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal) residence on the night of his arrest.," Lovely added.

He also said Delhi Congress leaders objected to party general secretary in-charge Deepak Babaria's running of the state of affairs.

However, Lovely said he was under tremendous pressure to expel the disgruntled leaders who are against Babaria.