Don’t field party-hopper in Jalandhar constituency, AAP workers tell Sandeep Pathak

Jalandhar, April 3

After Jalandhar AAP MP Sushil Kumar Rinku and MLA Sheetal Angural defected to the BJP, Sandeep Pathak, national general secretary, AAP, on Wednesday held meetings with local leaders and workers in Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur.

The meetings were held at a time when AAP’s national convener Arvind Kejriwal is in judicial custody and the party has faced twin defections in Jalandhar.

Pathak said, “Rinku and Angural will reap what they have sown. Voters of Jalandhar will teach them a lesson. Let us bury the past and move on to face new challenges.”

The activists said AAP should not field an outsider in the Lok Sabha poll from the Jalandhar parliamentary constituency. “We want a local and internal party candidate. We do not want a party hopper who can ditch us,” said AAP workers.

Local leaders said MLAs Inderjit Kaur Mann and Raman Arora had proposed the name of Local Bodies Minister Balkar Singh as Rinku’s replacement.

They said, “Balkar is a Majhbi Sikh. All other candidates, including Rinku of the BJP, and former CM Charanjit Channi, who is the Congress’ probable candidate, are Ravidasia. With Balkar, we shall be able to consolidate Majhbi Sikh/Valmiki voter in our favour. The Ravidasia votes may split among the parties.”

Sources said the names of politicians from other parties were also under consideration. He said, “All those who have gone to the BJP will face resistance in villages. The BJP tried to poach our MLAs, who have call recordings to prove their point.”

On Rinku’s exodus, Pathak said, “We are yet to take a call.” When asked about growing disenchantment among workers over outsiders being roped in, he said, “We have given tickets to our ministers. Roping in new and good people helps strengthen the party.”