Punjab’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party suffered a setback ahead of Lok Sabha elections after its Member of Parliament from Jalandhar Sushil Kumar Rinku and Jalandhar West MLA Sheetal Angural joined the BJP.

Welcoming the two legislators on Wednesday, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that the BJP holds the title of being the world’s Largest Political Party, attracting members from diverse backgrounds and professions.”BJP is the largest political party in the world. People from different walks of life are joining our family. I welcome Sushil Kumar Rinku and Sheetal Angural to the party. The situation is changing in Punjab and we all will work together to make India developed by 2047.

Speaking on his resignation, Rinku said that he made the move for the development of
Jalandhar. “I have taken this decision for the development of Jalandhar. We will take Jalandhar forward. We will bring all the projects of the Central Government to Jalandhar,”
He also alleged that no development work has been done in Punjab by the AAP government.

Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar said, “Congress and AAP are two sides of the same coin. Sushil Rinku joined the party today. He is the only Lok Sabha MP of the AAP and they should be ashamed.” Sheetal Angural put out a statement saying that he has resigned from all the responsibilities he had in the AAP.

Rinku has decided to join the BJP despite being declared as the AAP candidate for Jalandhar. He emerged victorious in the Jalandhar Lok Sabha constituency by a significant margin of 58,691 votes during a by-poll held in 2023.

Also Ravneet Bittu, the Congress MP representing Ludhiana, also joined the BJP. Bittu, who is the grandson of the late Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, tragically killed in a suicide bombing in Chandigarh in 1995, made this decision on Tuesday.