Devender Yadav Appointed As Delhi Congress Chief After Arvinder Lovely's Exit

The appointment of Devender Yadav as the interim president of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee was announced by the Congress on Tuesday, taking effect immediately.

Simultaneously, it was confirmed that Yadav would continue in his role as the Punjab All India Congress Committee (AICC) in charge.

New Delhi Congress Chief Devender Yadav

This decision came two days after former Delhi Congress chief Arvinder Singh Lovely resigned on Sunday, citing concerns related to the party's alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) during the Lok Sabha elections, as reported by Hindustan Times.

In a statement issued by the Congress, it was conveyed that "Hon'ble Congress President has appointed Shri Devender Yadav as the interim President of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee with immediate effect. He will continue in his role as AICC In-charge for Punjab."

Arvinder Singh Lovely expressed dissatisfaction with the Congress party's candidate selection process for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Delhi. According to ANI reports, he remarked, "PCC's (Pradesh Congress Committee) dignity needs to be maintained. Before officially declaring candidates, at least informally, the PCC must have been informed, but they didn't do it." Lovely indicated a willingness to continue working as a Congress worker if permitted, while criticizing the decision-making process within the party, as reported by Hindustan Times.

In his resignation letter, Lovely, who assumed the Delhi Congress chief role in August last year, strongly criticized the party's alliance with the AAP, particularly objecting to the nominations of Kanhaiya Kumar and Udit Raj from North East Delhi and North West Delhi constituencies, respectively. Despite opposition from the Delhi Congress, the party's leadership proceeded with the alliance, according to Lovely's allegations.

Under the seat-sharing agreement within the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), Congress is contesting three of Delhi's seven Lok Sabha seats, while AAP is contesting the remaining four. Both parties are contesting independently in Punjab.