New Delhi, Feb 17 (IANS) Former Delhi Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely on Saturday returned to the Congress and said he was "ideologically a misfit" in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which he had joined in April last year.
His re-induction in the Congress was announced soon after Lovely, along with Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken, former Delhi Minister Haroon Yusuf and party's spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala called on party President Rahul Gandhi at his residence here.
"It was not an easy decision for me to leave Congress. The decision was taken in pain. Ideologically, I was a misfit there (BJP)," Lovely told the media.
Announcing Lovely's re-induction, Maken said: "We are happy to announce that Lovely has joined Congress back. We welcome him to the party again."
"Congress will be strengthened by his presence again and we will serve the people of Delhi," the Congress leader said.
The former Union Minister also hailed Lovely and his family for their contribution to the party for generations.
"Lovely and his family have contributed to the Congress for long. He has been a strong sepoy of the Congress for generations. He has been the former Delhi unit chief and a former Minister in the Delhi government," Maken added.
Lovely had joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in April last year ahead of the MCD polls in the national capital.
A four-time MLA, Lovely was first elected to the Delhi Legislative Assembly in 1998.
Lovely's comeback can be seen as a big boost for the Congress ahead of by-polls to the 20 assembly seats in the national capital.
On February 14, Maken also reunited with three-times Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit to highlight the failures of Arvind Kejriwal government in the city.
