Double blow to AAP: Punjab MP Rinku, MLA Angural join BJP

New Delhi: Before the Punjab Lok Sabha elections, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) suffered a big setback as MP Sushil Kumar Rinku and AAP MLA from Jalandhar East, Sheetal Angural, joined the BJP. AAP had announced that it would give a ticket to Rinku from Jalandhar.

In Punjab, both the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress are contesting separately. Sushil Kumar Rinku was previously with the Congress and won the assembly elections in 2017 from the Jalandhar West seat.

Taking to media after joining the BJP, Rinku said that he has joined the party after being impressed with BJP’s governance under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said that he failed to work properly being an Jalandhar MP as AAP had not given him an open hand to function properly. He said that AAP did not provide him funds, on the other hand BJP ministers have resolved his issues including restarting flights from Adampur Airport and stoppage of Bande Bharat train in Jalandhar.

However, in the by-election held for the Jalandhar seat in 2023, AAP nominated him as a candidate from Jalandhar, and he has been representing this seat for the past year.

Sheetal Angural is the one who defeated Sushil Kumar Rinku in the 2022 assembly elections. However, after this defeat, Rinku joined the AAP. Sheetal Angural represents the Jalandhar West constituency.

On Tuesday, Congress MP from Ludhiana, Ravneet Singh Bittu, made a significant decision and joined the BJP. He stated that he wanted to bridge the gap between Punjab and the Center, which is why he joined the BJP.

Two top AAP leaders have decided to join the country’s ruling party at a time when Aam Aadmi Party’s national convener Arvind Kejriwal has been arrested by the ED in the excise policy case and is on a six-day remand. There are 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab where AAP and Congress have decided to contest separately. AAP has so far fielded candidates in 8 seats, including Rinku’s name.