Arvinder Singh Lovely, who made headlines by resigning from his position as Delhi Congress president in protest against the party's decision to ally with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, has now officially become a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The ceremony welcoming Lovely to BJP took place at the BJP headquarters in Delhi, where he was greeted by Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva, and the party's national general secretary Vinod Tawde. This move comes after Lovely had briefly switched to BJP in 2017 before returning to Congress in 2018, showcasing his political journey that has now led him back to the BJP.
Speaking at the ceremony, Arvinder Singh Lovely expressed his optimism about BJP's chances in the ongoing elections and his belief in the leadership of Prime Minister Modi to secure a decisive mandate. He emphasized the opportunity to work for the people of Delhi under BJP's banner and confidently predicted that BJP would form the government with a significant majority. Lovely's dissatisfaction with the Congress party was evident in his resignation letter to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, where he criticized the party's candidate selection process and the alliance with AAP in Delhi. This sentiment was shared by Naseeb Singh and Neeraj Basoya, fellow former Congress members who also resigned over the alliance with AAP.
The recent induction of Arvinder Singh Lovely and others into the BJP stirred up reactions within the party, with BJP leader Vinod Tawde highlighting a perceived dynastic trend within the Congress party. Tawde took a swipe at Rahul Gandhi's candidacy from Raebareli, implying a pattern of promoting family members within Congress compared to BJP's focus on promoting daughters. The Lok Sabha elections for Delhi, where AAP and Congress have a seat-sharing agreement, are scheduled for May 25, setting the stage for a closely watched electoral battle.