E-Paper
Minister Balkar Singh among frontrunners for AAP ticket from Jalandhar
On March 14, AAP announced the name of sitting MP Sushil Kumar Rinku as its candidate from Jalandhar. However, Rinku quit the party on March 27 and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has also fielded him from the same constituency.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha member and Punjab co-incharge Sandeep Pathak on Wednesday held meetings with cabinet ministers, MLAs, party office bearers and workers to take feedback on the possible party candidate from Jalandhar for the Lok Sabha polls.
On March 14, AAP announced the name of sitting MP Sushil Kumar Rinku as its candidate from Jalandhar. However, Rinku quit the party on March 27 and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has also fielded him from the same constituency. Along with Rinku, party’s Jalandhar West MLA Sheetal Angural also joined the BJP.
After Rinku’s exit, AAP has now started the process to pick a new candidate for the seat. A senior AAP leader, who was present at the meeting, pleading anonymity, said various names were discussed and there is a consensus against fielding a parachute candidate.
“Local bodies minister Balkar Singh, who is an MLA from Kartarpur Sahib, is among the top contenders for the ticket. The party senior leadership has been engaged in serious discussion on his name. The leaders and workers are sceptical about fielding any outsider or a parachute candidate from Jalandhar. Rinku betrayed our trust,” the leader added.
After the meeting, Pathak, while speaking to the mediapersons, said that he didn’t want to comment on Rinku and Angural’s exit.
“Rinku was declared candidate from Jalandhar for 2024 elections but now the situation is completely different, therefore the party has started the process of finding a new candidate from Jalandhar for which the discussions are already on,” he said.
Another senior leader, who was present at the meeting, said the party is closing in on picking a suitable candidate.
“It is important to field the best candidate having mass appeal to retain the seat which was wrested by AAP during the Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll in May last year. The whole government machinery and senior leaders of the party went all out to ensure Rinku’s victory, which ended Congress’ dominance in this Dalit-dominant constituency,” he said.
Pathak meets party rank and file
AMRITSAR: Pathak on Wednesday also met party rank and file from three segments—Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Khadoor Sahib and said no one can replace Arvind Kejriwal as Delhi CM.
Addressing a meeting at an auditorium in Amritsar, Pathak welcomed the release of AAP senior leader Sanjay Singh.
