‘Cong turncoats to help BJP secure votes in minority-dominated areas’
After the induction of former Delhi Congress president Arvinder Singh Lovely and other local leaders Raj Kumar Chauhan, Neeraj Basoiya, Nasseb Singh, and Amit Malik into the BJP, the saffron party is working on a strategy to make their best use in the Congress dominated pockets for the seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital.
It is reliably learnt that the party may soon announce a fresh campaign plan to organise meetings of these leaders to woo Congress voters for the BJP candidates.
The BJP sources said, “Even though the Congress has been out of power in Delhi since 2013, there are still some pockets, particularly minority-dominated, in the city where they enjoy a strong presence and these former Congress leaders will help in transferring that vote to the BJP.”
Mr Lovely, meanwhile, emphasised that his allegiance will now remain with the BJP.
“I will rather quit politics instead of leaving the BJP,” he said.
“Last time, I had taken the decision to quit Congress due to anger. This time, however, we have taken the decision with a cool head and much thought. Now, we will do politics here (in BJP) only or quit politics instead of leaving the party,” Mr Lovely told this newspaper.
Mr Lovely is one of the 40 star campaigners of the BJP for the polls in Delhi.
He further hinted that many other leaders in the Delhi Congress will join the BJP in the coming days.
“Raj Kumar Chauhan is a big leader in Northwest Delhi but his influence is not limited to that constituency only. Similarly, myself and Naseeb Singh are based in the transYamuna area where there are two seats. This is just the beginning; if the party allows, our other friends too will come,” he said.
Mr Lovely thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief J.P. Nadda, Union minister Amit Shah, and the Delhi BJP for his entry into the saffron outfit, saying he had friendly relations with many leaders in the party earlier also.