AAP’s lone Lok Sabha MP from Punjab joins BJP, takes MLA with him

In a massive setback to Aam Aadmi Party, Sushil Kumar Rinku, party’s only Loka Sabha MP joined the BJP on Wednesday along with party MLA Sheetal Angural.

The party is already facing a crisis with the arrest of its national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

The BJP during a press conference today, announced that Rinku, the MP from Jalandhar in Punjab, and Angural, who was elected to the state Assembly from Jalandhar West, has joined the BJP.

Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri and its national general secretary Vinod Tawde were also present.
Citing the reason for joining BJP, Rinku said he is looking forward to work for the development of Punjab, especially Jalandhar under the umbrella of BJP.

He accused the state's AAP government of not helping him in development works.

Last year, Rinku had quit Congress to join AAP and fought bypoll to the Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat. He had also been quite critical of the BJP in the Lok Sabha. The parliamentarian was even suspended from the House for his unruly protests.

The BJP is likely to field him in the Lok Sabha polls from the state with 13 constituencies. BJP has strategically inducted a number of influential leaders of different parties in Punjab to emerge as a strong force.

Rinku said he was impressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah and praised the Union government for its development initiatives.

Meanwhile, three-term Congress MP Ravneet Singh Bittu from Punjab also joined the BJP on Tuesday. 

Bittu is the grandson of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, who is known for his anti-terrorism campaign in the state. He was assassinated in a terror attack while still in office.

Polling for the 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab will be held on June 1 in the seventh and last phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.