Amid buzz about Jalandhar MP Sushil Rinku joining BJP, Punjab CM meets him

Deepkamal Kaur

Jalandhar, March 19

Amid reports that Jalandhar Aam Aadmi Party MP Sushil Rinku had certain issues with the party, CM Bhagwant Mann came to the city and held a meeting with him at a hotel here on Tuesday.

Rinku, it is learnt, is seeking financial support from the party for his campaign since the announcement of his candidature last week. The MP’s supporters have said since it was his third election for the third consecutive year, he had certain demands regarding getting aid from the party.

“Rinku had contested MLA elections from the Congress from Jalandhar West seat in 2022 which he had lost. In 2023, when he had joined AAP, he had successfully contested parliamentary bypoll from Jalandhar. In 2024 again, he is the LS candidate from Jalandhar. It is difficult to contest election every year. So this is one issue which he wanted a discussion with the CM”, said one of his aides.

On Saturday, there were reports that Rinku could be joining the BJP. The reports had baffled the AAP leadership as Rinku’s candidature had already been announced. Today, as CM Mann, who was on a tour to Dasuya to express condolences to the family of constable Amritpal Singh, who was gunned down during a raid, reached Jalandhar this afternoon and met Rinku, fuelling speculations that all was not well.

Rinku, it is also learnt, was upset as most of his projects that he had promised to the masses ahead of his 2023 bypoll had not taken off in the past 10 months.

Rinku, however, denied any such reports. “I have no issues with my party. My meeting with the CM was only to discuss and plan my campaign. It was a one-to-one meeting with the CM and hence all discussions around it are only speculative. I have no demand regarding funds as I do not go extravagant in my campaigns. The buzz over my talks with the BJP is also trash. I have no issues with pending projects like that of sports university in Jalandhar as it usually takes two to three years for a project to take shape and these will eventually complete before 2027”, he said.

Was ‘upset’ over unkept promises

MP Rinku, it is learnt, was upset as most of his projects that he had promised to the masses ahead of his 2023 bypoll had not taken off in the past 10 months.

No issue with party

I have no issue with the party. My meeting with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was only to discuss and plan my campaign. It was a one-on-one meeting with him and hence all discussions around it are only speculative. — Sushil Kumar Rinku, Jalandhar Lok Sabha MP