Resignation of Lovely Thakkar: Anger Against Babaria as Factionalism in Delhi Congress Intensifies, AAP Calls it Internal Issue of Ally

Congress' Delhi chief Lovely resigns, exposing party division over alliance with AAP. He criticized AICC in-charge Babaria and candidates Kanhaiya Kumar and Udit Raj. Some Congress workers protested Kumar's candidacy, while others rallied outside Lovely's residence against Babaria. Babaria defended the alliance and downplayed Lovely's resignation, claiming it was an internal matter. AAP termed it an internal matter while BJP called it an "unnatural alliance." Former Congress MLA Asid Mohammed Khan alleged Lovely may join BJP, which Lovely denied. Lovely clarified he resigned only from his post and is not joining any party. Delhi BJP chief predicted further Congress implosion due to dissatisfaction. Former Congress leaders Chauhan and Basoya called for Babaria's removal as in-charge.

The resignation of Congress' Delhi unit chief Arvinder Singh Lovely in protest against the alliance with AAP has brought the party's factional feud into the open, with a section of leaders on Sunday demanding the removal of AICC in-charge Deepak Babaria.

Babaria said it was ''unfortunate'' that Lovely's resignation came at a time when the general elections in the country were underway, but asserted that it won't affect the Congress, while the Aam Aadmi Party termed it an internal matter of its ally.

The BJP said it was an ''unnatural alliance'' forged by the leadership of AAP and Congress to ''shield their corruption'' but their party workers had not accepted it.

In his resignation letter to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Lovely said the Delhi Congress unit was against the alliance with AAP and that all unanimous decisions taken by the senior Delhi unit leaders have been ''unilaterally vetoed'' by Babaria.

He also criticised Congress candidates - Kanhaiya Kumar from Northeast Delhi and Udit Raj from Northwest Delhi - for their statements and said that tickets were given to two people who are total strangers to the Delhi Congress and party policies.

When asked about the development, Kumar said, "I don't know. I don't have any information. Let me gather information from the party and then I will tell you." In the afternoon, a group of Congress workers held a protest against Kumar outside the Congress election office near Maujpur metro station in North East Delhi.

''We need a local candidate, we don't want an outsider,'' Navdeep Sharma, one of the protesters, told PTI Video.

Another protester said, ''We had raised objections earlier but our voices were not heard. We don't like Kanhaiya Kumar.'' Some party workers gathered outside Lovely's residence also raised slogans against AICC's Delhi in-charge Babaria who, meanwhile, stressed that all DPCC leaders were taken into confidence on the alliance issue and Lovely should have aired his views before the party panels.

"Ahead of forming the alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi, the DPCC leaders and workers were taken into confidence.

''He (Lovely) was part of all the committees and panels; he should have raised his objections back then. Anyone who distances themselves from any party or posts tends to find a reason to do so," Babaria told reporters.

''The party showed faith in him and gave him such a big position, but what he did was sad. His resignation won't affect the party and I am confident that we will win all three Lok Sabha seats from Delhi in the elections," Babaria said.

A scuffle broke out in front of Lovely's residence as his supporters allegedly pushed former Congress MLA Asid Mohammed Khan who had reached there.

Khan said, ''This was an internal matter and Lovely should have reached out to the Congress president. By releasing his resignation letter in the media, he is providing an advantage to the BJP.'' He alleged that BJP will replace its East Delhi candidate Harsh Malhotra and Lovely will be declared by the party as its candidate from the constituency.

At a press conference later, Lovely made it clear that he has only resigned from the party post and is not joining any political party. He also appeared to rejected suggestions that he was unhappy over not getting a ticket.

Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said that Lovely has responded to the voice of his conscience and the implosion within the Congress started the moment the party announced its Lok Sabha candidates.

''It was an unnatural alliance that was formed by the top leadership of the two parties to shield their corruption but their workers never accepted it,'' he said.

''No patriot can stand with a person who talks about dividing the country and who stands with the enemies of the nation. I think this line will be drawn further as many others are raising their voice against the way the Congress has distributed its tickets,'' he said.

Former Delhi minister Rajkumar Chauhan, who resigned from the party on Wednesday, said Babaria should be removed as the AICC in-charge of Delhi.

''Lovely has resigned. I have also resigned. The Delhi in-charge told me to get out of a meeting. Remove Delhi in-charge Deepak Babaria from Delhi and save Congress,'' Chauhan said.

Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit, the son of former chief minister Sheila Dikshit, said, ''He is pained. There is a personal pain as a Congress worker and as Delhi Congress'' chief. I think attention needs to be paid to what he said.'' Former Congress MLA Neeraj Basoya said, ''Lovely has resigned after seeing the sentiments of the Congress workers. Babaria's style of functioning has created problems everywhere, be it Delhi or Haryana, and all the workers are angry.'' AAP senior leader Saurabh Bharadwaj said it was an internal matter of their senior ally Congress.

''It won't be appropriate for me to comment on the matter. AAP is fighting on the four seats it is contesting with full strength and we are hopeful that people will vote for the INDIA bloc candidates on all the seven seats in Delhi,'' he said.

Senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Harsh Vardhan said it was inevitable as the grassroots workers had not accepted the AAP-Congress alliance.

''I guarantee that after their defeat on June 4, the leaders of this alliance will start abusing each other again. Arvinder Lovely Ji's departure is just the beginning. The conscience of many such grassroots workers will awaken now,'' he wrote on X in Hindi.

Congress leader Surendra Rajput said Kharge will decide the future course of action after Lovely's resignation.

''I would only say that our alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party happened with his participation and as per his wish. The general elections are going on and one should keep personal expectations and aspirations aside for now," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)