Former MLA Pawan Kumar Tinu joins the AAP.
Aparna Banerji
Jalandhar, April 14
The gloom within the AAP in Jalandhar until days ago, has been changed to cheers and relief with the joining of Shiromani Akali Dal leader Pawan Tinu into the party this afternoon. Party’s hunt to field an “educated Dalit candidate, known for his good works” on the Jalandhar seat ended with the joining of SAD leader Pawan Tinu today, who is likely to be announced party’s Lok Sabha candidate.
While the party’s fortunes were deemed flailing in Jalandhar after sitting MP of Jalandhar Sushil Rinku walked out to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (days after he was declared the Aaam Aadmi Party candidate), the party had been left in a lurch to find a suitable candidate amidst popular faces like Rinku (BJP) and former CM Charanjit Singh Channi (Congress) being fielded from opposition parties. Given Tinu’s non-nonsense and clean reputation, the pick has been largely hailed within the AAP cadres who had been angered by Rinku’s exit.
His maiden AAP outing (to a Jalandhar gurdwara) saw a decent number of AAP cadres turning up. It now rests upon him to replicate AAP’s last year’s over 50,000 margin victory on the Jalandhar seat. The CM had already declared that the AAP aimed to win Jalandhar at all costs.
Known for his discretion, politeness and goodwill, Tinu has been vocal on key Dalit issues like post-matric scholarship scheme, issues of the Ravidassiya community and has been an avowed critic of the AAP before he joined the party today.
This morning before heading to Chandigarh to meet the CM, he paid tributes to Dr BR Ambedkar at the Nakodar Chowk in Jalandhar and after his formal joining by CM Bhagwant Mann, he headed to the Bunga Sahib village at Ropar to meet Dalit icon Kanshi Ram’s sister.
After that, he came to Jalandhar and paid obeisance at the Model Town Gurdwara amidst a strong presence of AAP workers and leaders. After this, which he headed to the Devi Talab Mandir.
Notably, the AAP had previously made attempts to rope him in ahead of various previous elections in 2017, 2021, 2022, including last year’s (Jalandhar) by-polls.
An AAP leader said, “All of us were unwilling for an outsider candidate but Tinu is a respected leader whose reputation precedes him. Barring a few murmurs, the AAP workforce unanimously supports his candidature and is upbeat. He is also a candidate who it’s is believed will pull in many other Akali leaders to the fold.”
Speaking to The Tribune, Pawan Tinu on leaving Akali Dal said, “These LS polls are decisive, Constitution is in danger, leaders are being jailed. But the Akali Dal opted neither for NDA nor India Alliance. I believe we had to take side this time, so I joined AAP.”
Speaking on Channi and Rinku, Tinu said, “Rinku betrayed the simple workers of AAP last year. Channi lost on his own home turf as sitting CM. Now he is trying his fortune after crossing a river. Both of them will be rejected.”
‘CONSTITUTION IN DANGER’
These LS polls are decisive, Constitution is in danger, leaders are being jailed. But the Akali Dal opted neither for NDA nor India Alliance. I believe we had to take side this time, so I joined AAP. Rinku betrayed the simple workers of AAP last year. Channi lost on his own home turf as sitting CM. Now he is trying his fortune after crossing a river. Both of them will be rejected. — Pawan Tinu, former MLA
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