Amit Malik blames Rahul Gandhi for Congress members joining BJP

Holding Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi responsible for his allegiance to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the Delhi civic polls, former Delhi Youth Congress president Amit Malik on Wednesday said the grand old party's rigid process in allocating party seats forced him to quit the party.

"For the past three years, the Youth Congress worked hard to float the sinking ship (Congress) when the BJP came to power. We took part in every protest, held 'dharnas' to keep the Congress relevant, but when we asked tickets for 20 people from the Youth Congress, they refused," Malik told ANI.

"We even pleaded and knelt before Ajay Maken, but he did not listen to us. Even Rahul Gandhi did not pay attention. It is primarily because of this that several Youth Congress members would go to BJP office and apply for the membership," he added.

Former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit also blamed Maken for the mass exodus of the party members.

"Yes, of course. That is the reason (Ajay Maken's way of leadership). What else can be the reason? People worked with me for 15 years when Congress was in power. Did you hear any such news of people leaving the party then?" she said.

She also held Pradesh Congress Committee's (PCC) faulty system responsible for senior leaders quiiting the party.

"The approach which a PCC head should have, of working with everybody, is not there. The primary reason behind people quitting the party is them being ignored, not listened to. So, out of frustration, they are doing so. There is some problem with the prevailing system in the PCC. There is an urgent need to amend it," she said.

Besides Malik, four-time MLA and one of the important ministers in Sheila Dikshit's cabinet, Arvinder Singh Lovely also joined the BJP on Tuesday, giving a severe blow to the Congress ahead of MCD polls.

Lovely was also reportedly upset over ticket distribution.