Lok Sabha polls: former Akali MLA Pawan Tinu joins AAP

In a setback to the Shiromani Akali Dal ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, former party MLA Pawan Kumar Tinu on Sunday joined the AAP here.

Tinu is likely to be the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate from the Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat, said party sources.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann welcomed Tinu into the party fold.

Along with Tinu, another Akali leader Gurcharan Singh also joined the AAP.

Tinu, a Dalit leader, was elected MLA from the Adampur assembly constituency in Jalandhar district in 2012 and 2017. He lost the 2022 assembly polls to Congress nominee Sukhwinder Kotli.

He had unsuccessfully contested the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

The Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat is currently represented by Sushil Rinku, who won it on an AAP ticket in the 2023 bypoll.

Rinku was named the AAP candidate from Jalandhar seat for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls but he quit the party and joined the BJP.

The BJP has fielded Rinku from the Jalandhar (reserve) constituency.

Speaking to reporters, Tinu said he was impressed by the Mann government's work like free electricity, free treatment at 'Mohalla Clinics' and setting up "good" schools in the state.

"Ever since the AAP came to power, it is working towards the welfare of people, Mohalla Clinics have been set up, over 80 per cent of the people are getting free electricity and jobs are being given on merit," he said.

He thanked Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, Mann and AAP MP Sandeep Pathak after joining the party.

Replying to a question, Tinu said he joined without any conditions and would perform whatever role the party gave him.

Tinu claimed that there was an atmosphere of "distrust" in the Sukhbir Singh Badal-led Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).

"There is confusion among the leaders and the workers. People (in SAD) are feeling insecure about the fate of the party. The morale of the party workers is down," he alleged.

Tinu said he worked honestly while he was in the SAD for 16 years.

In a veiled attack on the BJP, Tinu said, "We all know that conspiracies are being hatched to abolish the Constitution. We will have to make our position clear on whether we stand by the Constitution or not." He slammed the BJP-led central government for "misusing" the central agencies to target rival parties.

The Congress is yet to name its candidate from the Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat, though former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi is the frontrunner from the reserved constituency.

Polling for the 13 Lok Sabha seats will be held on June 1.