In a major setback to the Aam Aadmi Party ahead of the general elections, its lone Lok Sabha MP Sushil Kumar Rinku and Punjab MLA Sheetal Angural joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday.

Rinku, who represents Jalandhar in the lower house, switched sides despite being announced as the AAP candidate from the same seat. Reports said he is now likely to contest the Lok Sabha elections on a BJP ticket.

After joining BJP, Rinku said, “It is true that the promises I made to the people of Jalandhar were not fulfilled because my party (AAP) did not support me. I am impressed with the working style of PM Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah…”

 “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,” Rinku added. Angural, an MLA from Jalandhar West, has put out a statement, saying he has resigned from all the responsibilities he had in the AAP. 

Welcoming the duo to the BJP, Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri said the BJP is the largest political party in the world and people from different walks of life are joining it. 

“…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…,” said Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.

“Congress and AAP are two sides of the same coin. Sushil Rinku joined the party today… He is the only Lok Sabha MP of (AAP) and they (AAP) should be ashamed…,” said Punjab BJP unit chief Sunil Jhakar.