Cong struggles as leaders abandon ranks to join BJP
EXODUS Exminister and Delhi unit chief Arvinder Singh joins BJP
Congress is struggling to keep its flock together in Delhi even as the grand-old-party is fighting a battle for its survival in the national capital after suffering repeated electoral reverses.
Former minister and Delhi unit chief Arvinder Singh’s exit was not the first and sources say it might not be the last as resentment had been brewing in the party for the past two years.
The resignation by Singh and Delhi Youth Congress president Amit Malik comes a day after the exit of Rakesh Rajoura, a former Delhi Congress general secretary and councillor. Rajoura also joined the BJP on Monday.
Earlier, Amrish Singh Gautam, a three-time MLA had joined BJP. He has represented Kondli and Patparganj assembly seat. He was also the deputy speaker of the Delhi Assembly.
Singh told HT that he was disappointed the way senior party leaders and former ministers such as Dr Ashok Kumar Walia, Mangat Ram Singhal, and Ramesh Dutta were being ignored in the last two years.
Criticising state unit chief Ajay Maken for alienating the senior leadership, Singh said the party high command is aware of the crisis but seems not interested in getting it resolved.
“Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi were not even ready to meet me. I have given my life to the party. I was ignored as if I don’t have self respect. They must understand that the times have changed. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah has changed the definition of the politics. I joined their party as I am impressed with their style of functioning,” Singh said.
Singh represented the Gandhi Nagar seat in the Delhi Assembly four times from 1998 to 2013. In 2003, he was inducted into the Sheila Dikshit cabinet and held important portfolios such as education, transport and urban development.
Former CM Sheila Dikshit termed his exit from the party as ‘disappointment’ and held Maken responsible for departure of senior party leaders.
“The job of Delhi Congress president is to keep everybody together. That certainly has not happened. Most of the people in party have complaints that Maken does not reach out to everyone. We would have won the election, had our leaders not left at this critical stage,” she said.