‘Experimenting afresh’: AAP's Lone Lok Sabha MP Sushil Rinku on joining BJP

Aditi Tandon

New Delhi, March 27

Lone Lok Sabha MP of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab Sushil Kumar Rinku on Wednesday joined the BJP in the National Capital saying he had taken the decision not for personal benefits but for the development of his constituency Jalandhar.

“I am experimenting with myself,” he said.

Accusing the AAP Government in the state of disregarding his petitions with respect to Jalandhar, Rinku said, “I am joining the BJP not for personal gains or benefits but to ensure the advancement of Jalandhar, where I was unable to keep the promises I made to the people when I won the Lok Sabha by election. My requests regarding Jalandhar were disregarded. Contrastingly, whenever I sought anything for Jalandhar’s development from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah or the Central leaders, I was always accommodated. Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia helped start the Adampur airport on my request,” said Rinku, a former municipal councillor, ex-MLA and ex-MP.

Rinku was inducted into the party in the presence of national general secretary of the BJP Vonod Tawde, BJP Punjab president Sunil Jakhar and Union Minister Hardeep Puri.

Punjab MLA Sheetal Angrula also joined the BJP.

Their joining comes a day after BJP announced to go alone in the Lok Sabha polls and not in alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal.

Yesterday, Congress MP from Ludhiana Ravneet Singh Bittu had joined BJP.

Sunil Jakhar said the moment was about two brothers reuniting.

“I and Sushil Rinku were together in the Congress. I came to the BJP early but he took his time experimenting with the AAP. Today his joining is reuniting two brothers,” said Jakhar, accusing the AAP Government in Punjab of replicating the controversial Delhi excise policy and plundering the state of its revenues by sending proceeds from liquor sales to AAP ruled Delhi.

Earlier Union Minister Hardeep Puri welcomed the new joinees hoping that everyone will together take Punjab on the road to development.

MPs from other parties are still said to be in touch with the BJP, with talks of yet another high- profile leader’s joining being on the cards.