Congress appoints Devender Yadav as interim president of Delhi unit

Tribune News Service

Shubhadeep Choudhury

New Delhi, April 30

Former legislator Devender Yadav, in-charge of the party’s Punjab unit, was on Tuesday appointed interim president of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC).

The appointment comes two days after Arvinder Singh Lovely resigned from the post on Sunday, citing his opposition to the seat-sharing agreement struck between Congress and Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi for the seven Lok Sabha seats in the city.

“The Congress chief has appointed Devender Yadav as the interim president of the DPCC with immediate effect. He will continue in his role as the AICC in-charge for Punjab,” a press statement issued by Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal stated.

“My heartfelt thanks to Sh@khargeji, Smt #Sonia Gandhi ji, Sh. @RahulGandhiji, Sh @kcvenugopalmpji & Smt @priyankagandhiji and all senior leaders of @INCIndia, for the faith they have bestowed in me yet again! Will try my best to tread the coveted and ideological vision party has laid for me and give my 100% (sic),” Yadav wrote on X, welcoming the new responsibility assigned to him by the party.

Talking to this reporter today, Yadav took strong exception to Lovely’s step of quitting the party at a time when the Lok Sabha election in Delhi was less than a month away.

Brushing aside Lovely’s claim that he quit the party in protest against the arrangement reached by the Congress with AAP in Delhi for the Lok Sabha elections, Yadav said Lovely had vociferously supported the idea when it was given approval in a meeting in which party president Mallikarjun Kharge and former president Rahul Gandhi were present.

“I attended the meeting and saw Lovely wholeheartedly supporting the agreement,” Yadav said.

“An individual can never be stronger than an organisation. Lovely’s exit will not make any difference to the Congress prospects in the city. The Congress will win all three seats it is contesting in Delhi,” Yadav said.

Asked if Lovely had quit Congress because of denial of ticket to him by the Congress for the Lok Sabha polls, Yadav said, “Everybody knows what actually led Lovely to resign.”

Yadav, who was a member of the legislative assembly from Badli constituency in Delhi twice — 2008-2013 and 2013-15 — was appointed in-charge of the party’s Punjab unit in December last year. He had remained in-charge of Congress party’s Uttarakhand unit in the past.

About The Author

Tribune News Service

The Tribune News Service brings you the latest news, analysis and insights from the region, India and around the world. Follow the Tribune News Service for a wide-ranging coverage of events as they unfold, with perspective and clarity.

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.

#Congress