Former Congress Delhi chief Arvinder Singh Lovely joins BJP

Former Delhi Congress president Arvinder Singh Lovely on Tuesday joined the BJP and lashed out at the leadership of his former party, saying it has "died" under them.

Delhi Youth Congress president Amit Malik also joined the BJP along with Lovely after meeting party chief Amit Shah.

The switch by Lovely, who was a key minister in the Sheila Dikshit-led Delhi government, into the saffron fold comes less than a week ahead of the crucial MCD polls.

"The child has died. The party is finished," he told reporters, referring to the Congress.

He also referred to the allegations made by state Congress veteran A K Walia that tickets for MCD elections were being sold by party leaders.

"Nobody took note of his grievances. Several leaders in the Congress are feeling suffocated for the past two years," he said.

Launching a scathing attack on Delhi State Congress president Ajay Maken, former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit on Tuesday said the reason behind senior leaders quitting the party is the faulty system of the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC).

The former PCC head also opined that if the in-charge does not realise the dissatisfaction persisting among the party members, then what is the use of being the head.

‘The approach which a PCC head should have, of taking everybody together, is not there. The primary reason behind people quitting the party is them being ignored, not listened to. So, out of frustration they are doing so. There is some problem with the prevailing system in the PCC. There is an urgent need to amend it,’ Dikshit told ANI.

Drawing a parallel between her and Maken, Dikshit said that no member thought of quitting the party under her tenure of 15 years.

‘Yes of course. That is the reason (Ajay Maken’s way of leadership). What else can be the reason’ People worked with me for 15 years when Congress was in power. Did you hear any such news then of people leaving the party’’ she said.

Dikshit also termed this as a setback for the party, especially ahead of the upcoming Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) polls.

Earlier today, Former Delhi Congress chief Arvinder Singh Lovely joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) along with Delhi Youth Congress president Amit Malik ahead of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) elections.

BJP president Amit Shah formally welcomed Lovely in the BJP in the presence of Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari.

According to sources, Lovely was upset over ticket distribution which compelled him to join the BJP.

He was one of the important ministers in Sheila Dikshit's Cabinet during the Congress rule in Delhi