As Sushil Rinku joins AAP, Congress tries to keep its Jalandhar West flock intact

Tribune News Service

Deepkamal Kaur

Jalandhar, April 5

As former Jalandhar West MLA Sushil Rinku joined Aam Aadmi Party this evening, the Congress leaders are working overtime to control the damage and keep all its Municipal Corporation councillors and leaders of the party from the constituency bound to it.

As there were reports that Rinku could take along some MC councillors from the area and further dent the party, Phillaur MLA Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary and District Congress Committee (Urban) president Rajinder Beri called them all at Congress Bhawan this evening. No councillor or leader from the area tagged with Rinku today as the party confined the event only to his joining.

Among those who were at Congress Bhawan this evening were former Senior Deputy Mayor Surinder Kaur, DCC (Urban) vice-president Pawan Kumar, Jalandhar West block president Harish Dhall, former DCC (Urban) vice-president Harjinder Ladda, former councillors Bunty Neelkanth, Balwinder Kaur Ladda, Tarsem Lakhotra, Bachan Lal, Anmol Grover, Jagdish Samrai, and Anita Mintu (all councillors).

Congress ready with ammo

The Congress is also learnt to be working overtime to combat Rinku’s prospects by collating all the videos that would now go against him and getting them circulated on social media. These videos include Rinku’s remarks against AAP and Jalandhar West MLA Sheetal Angural, with whom he does not see eye to eye.

These also include a video in which Rinku, who during the recent visit of PCC chief Amrinder S Raja Warring, had said, “The Congress Bhawan should dedicate a whole wall for those who are ditching the party. Their pictures of such traitors must be hung there.” The party leaders have already begun sharing it and asking him question if his picture too should be displayed on the same wall.

Key players behind joining

Rinku’s joining is learnt to have been instrumented by AAP national general secretary Sandeep Pathak and Rajya Sabha member and Lovely Professional University Chancellor Ashok Mittal. All leaders first gathered on the LPU campus, waiting for Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann to arrive before proceeding to Phagwara for the joining ceremony.

Rana's dinner plan failed

Jalandhar election incharge and Kapurthala Congress MLA Rana Gurjeet SIngh, Shahkot MLA Hardev Laddi and Rinku had dinner together last evening. Both Rana and Laddi reportedly worked overtime to ensure that he did not join AAP but around noon today Rinku told them that he was moving. Since there were constant pulls and pushes from both the Congress and AAP side, Rinku perhaps was not able to make his mind till today. Around 3 pm, just an hour before the scheduled time of his joining AAP, the Congress expelled Rinku for anti-party activities.

‘No aam candidate for AAP’

Phillaur MLA Vikramjit Chaudhary, said the AAP's move to take in Rinku starkly exposed its inability to find a candidate for the byelection. “Rinku’s defection to AAP is a setback for the AAP and not the Congress,” they said.

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