Jalandhar bypoll: After 2 ex-MLAs switch sides, Cong begins ‘damage-control’

After starting its campaign for the Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll on a positive note, the Congress party suffered twin setbacks within a week with two of its former MLAs-- Sushil Kumar Rinku and Chaudhary Surinder Singh-- joining Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

A day after switching sides, Rinku was named AAP nominee for the bypoll, while Surinder’s joining further bolstered AAP’s morale.

Congress has been undefeated here since 1998 when its candidate lost to former Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral who won as a Janta Dal candidate.

The exodus of two MLAs is likely to make the task difficult for Congress, which is desperately looking to bolster its cadre after the 2022 Assembly poll drubbing at the hands of AAP.

Both Rinku, from Jalandhar West and Chaudhary Surinder, from Kartarpur, left senior Congress leaders camping in Jalandhar red-faced.

On Tuesday, senior leaders, including the leader of opposition in Punjab, Partap Singh Bajwa, state Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, campaign committee chairman Rana Gurjeet Singh carried out a detailed meeting with the Chaudhary family and its MLAs.

Later Bajwa ridiculed the AAP led by chief minister Bhagwant Mann for poaching leaders from the Congress party.

“These two former MLAs were lured by AAP. We will put up a strong fight against such arm-twisting tactics of AAP,” Bajwa added.

“This shows how the AAP has gone completely bankrupt in Punjab just within one year of being in power. The ruling party has failed to find not even a single candidate worth his salt from the party cadres and had to poach from the Congress to contest the Jalandhar bypoll,” Bajwa said in a statement.

Raja Warring added that the party has already covered the Jalandhar West constituency and held multiple meetings with local leaders and workers.

“We will focus on the Kartarpur assembly segment now after Surinder’s exit. However, his joining into AAP will backfire for the ruling party as the Congress is least bothered about his exit,” he said.

Surinder’s cousin and Phillaur MLA Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary said he has not only backstabbed the party but brought disgrace to the Chaudhary family, which has been associated with the Congress for almost 100 years.

“I feel ashamed that he is related to me. The Congress party had given him everything on a platter and made him MLA from Kartarpur just because of my father and uncle’s contribution, as Surinder has no political standing,” Vikramjit said.

Pathak chairs meeting of AAP leaders, volunteers

Jalandhar: The Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Rajya Sabha member and Punjab’s co-in-charge Dr Sandeep Pathak, on Tuesday, held a meeting with Jalandhar’s ministers, MLAs, party office bearers and volunteers to discuss election campaign strategy ahead of the bypoll.

Dr Pathak said that it is the responsibility of every leader, volunteer and worker to apprise people of the achievements of the Mann government in one year and AAP’s pro-people policies.

“Don’t let these leaders mislead the people of Jalandhar again,” he said.

Finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema, candidate Sushil Kumar Rinku and Punjab general secretary Harchand Singh Barsat attended the meeting and addressed the volunteers.