Modi factor will not work in Delhi polls, says Congress leader Arvinder Singh Lovely
New Delhi: The Congress party might have been reduced to 8 seats in Delhi assembly but it has not dampened the spirit and enthusiasm of Arvinder Singh Lovely, the party's new state president. Lovely is confident
Q: Your party ruled Delhi for 15 long years but Congress was wiped out in assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Delhi. In Lok Sabha elections, you could not manage second position in even one Lok Sabha constituency. Who should be held responsible?
Lovely: Since our party was in power in Delhi for 15 years and at the Centre for 10 years, there was a definite anti-incumbency against us. I also have no doubt that the disinformation campaign launched against us coupled with the false promises made by our opponents- like they'll give cheap electricity, free water and that they will eradicate corruption with a magic wand - went against us. From our end, we failed to convey our message effectively to the people and we had to pay for that. All the reasons responsible for our defeat in December were there in April elections as well. Therefore we were not expecting very good results in Lok Sabha elections.
Now the people of Delhi have seen the rule of both the parties. One party had said that they will make power cheaper by 50 percent while the other party had promised to make power cheaper by 30 percent. But the reality is that Delhi is today witnessing load shedding for 5-6 hours.
These two parties used to make allegations that Congress was hand in glove with power companies and that the Congress government was giving undue money to power companies in the name of subsidies. When AAP assumed power, they also continued with the same policy of extending subsidies to the people of Delhi. Even the BJP is today doing exactly the same thing. Now people are asking BJP why they were making those allegations in first place.
I want both the parties to tender unconditional apology to the people of Delhi. Why because they misled the people by repeatedly telling them that the Congress style of subsidy was wrong. Today both of them believe that there is no other way except the path adopted by Congress.
Q: There is a perception that politics is getting bipolar in Delhi with BJP and AAP being the two poles and that Congress has got completely marginalized in the state.
Lovely: This is not true. Those who are saying this are completely mistaken. The upcoming elections will prove this. Don't think that the people of Delhi are fools. We had done a lot of development in our 15 years of rule. We had set up world class Bus Q-shelters but today their roofs have blown over and nobody is there to take care. You will find broken signages all over. In last 8 months, the entire administration has come to a standstill. Senior citizens are not getting their pensions. Ration cards are not being made in Delhi for the last 8 months. The Annashree scheme launched by Congress has been wound up by BJP government. Therefore, don't consider people of Delhi as ‘fools' who could be easily misled by two sets of people.
Q: If you did such good work during your tenure, why didn't people of Delhi vote for you?
Lovely: Don't forget that we were in power for 15 long years. We have accepted the verdict of the people in both assembly and Lok Sabha polls. We supported the party that got votes of the people, despite our reluctance, so that they could work for the people. But he (Kejriwal) ran way from shouldering the responsibility and resigned as Chief Minister of Delhi for his personal ambitions. Even today he lies when he tells the people that we did not allow him to work. The fact is that I did not meet him during his 49 days tenure as Delhi CM. Neither did I call him in that period. So how can he say that Congress party stopped him from doing work? And he is no longer saying anything about the Janlokpal Bill for which he claims to have resigned from the CM post.