‘Misfit’ in BJP, Lovely rejoins Cong

Syed Ali Ahmed

Tribune News Service 

New Delhi, February 17

Former Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Arvinder Singh Lovely, who had joined the BJP in April last year, rejoined the Congress today saying he was “ideologically misfit” in the saffron culture.

Lovely’s re-joining could boost the Congress’ prospects in the ensuing bypolls to 20 Delhi Assembly seats, an exercise necessitated following the disqualification of ruling AAP MLAs by the Election Commission. 

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An Education and Transport Minister during the Sheila Dikshit regime, Lovely joined the party at the All India Congress Committee office. Accompanied by Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken, he earlier met party president Rahul Gandhi at his residence. Gandhi welcomed him into the party fold. 

Lovely said he never felt good after quitting the Congress, a decision he took with a “lot of pain”. “I was ideologically misfit in the BJP. I realised this the very next day I joined the party.” 

A Sheila Dikshit loyalist, he had quit the Congress following differences with Maken. He had joined the BJP along with Delhi Youth Congress chief Amit Malik in the presence of BJP president Amit Shah ahead of the Delhi civic polls in April last year.

A prominent Sikh and Punjabi face, Lovely’s return is expected to strengthen the Congress in the national capital. The party, at present, does not have any MLA in the Delhi Assembly.