New Delhi (Agency): Arvinder Singh Lovely, the recently appointed president of Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC), has conveyed his determination to rejuvenate the party in the national capital through structural changes. He also hinted at the possibility of leaders who had previously left the Congress to join other political parties making a return.
Speaking to PTI, Lovely stated, “We will put in every possible effort to revive the party in the national capital and boost the spirit of every Congress leader and worker in the city. Wait and watch how many leaders who defected earlier return to the Congress.”
Arvinder Singh Lovely, a former minister, took on the role of heading the party’s unit in the national capital recently. The move signals a fresh start for the Delhi Congress.
Over the years, several Congress leaders had switched allegiances to other political parties. Some notable examples include Mahabal Mishra, Prahlad Singh Sawhney, Shoaib Iqbal, Dhanwati Chandela, Rajkumari Dhillon, and Surender Pal Singh Bittu.
For instance, Mahabal Mishra joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) before the Municipal Corporation of Delhi elections in 2022. Prahlad Singh Sawhney, a four-time Congress MLA from Chandni Chowk assembly constituency, switched to the AAP in 2019. Shoaib Iqbal, a five-time Congress MLA from Matia Mahal assembly constituency, joined the AAP in January 2020. Chandela and Dhillon also joined the AAP before the 2020 assembly elections. Additionally, two-time former Congress MLA from the Timarpur constituency, Surender Pal Singh Bittu, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in July 2019.
Arvinder Singh Lovely shared insights into the Congress’s plans for restructuring the party in Delhi. He mentioned that the next course of action would be decided after receiving reports from the coordinators appointed for all seven Lok Sabha constituencies in Delhi. These coordinators have been tasked with helping restructure the party in the national capital and are expected to submit their reports within the next two weeks.
Lovely explained, “First, we need to reorganize the party and shuffle certain responsibilities among some leaders and workers. Once that is done, the party will start its activities. Even now, the party is silent because our entire focus is on changing the structure. I am hopeful that the Delhi Congress will revive itself very soon.”
The Congress has appointed coordinators for each of the seven Lok Sabha constituencies in Delhi, with each coordinator assisted by three leaders responsible for listing names for block and district presidents. Additionally, under the block Congress committees, there will be two mandals.
Arvinder Singh Lovely’s efforts to revive the Congress in Delhi come in the backdrop of the BJP’s dominant performance in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in the city in recent years, with the AAP securing a significant victory in the Assembly polls. His leadership and the party’s restructuring endeavors aim to bring the Congress back into the political forefront in the national capital.