From 'chains of slavery' protest against BJP to landing straight in the saffron fold: Who is Sushil Kumar Rinku?

The solitary AAP representative in the Lok Sabha, Sushil Kumar Rinku, switched sides on Wednesday by aligning himself with the BJP, alongside Punjab MLA Sheetal Angural. This decision has dealt a significant blow to the AAP, which is already grappling with a crisis triggered by the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Rinku, who serves as the MP for Jalandhar, cited the BJP's commitment to Punjab's development, particularly in Jalandhar, as the rationale behind his decision. He lamented the AAP government's purported lack of support for his constituency's development initiatives, which, he claimed, prevented him from fulfilling his electoral pledges.

In August last year, Sushil Kumar Rinku, then an Aam Aadmi Party MP, had protested his suspension from the Lok Sabha, alongside fellow AAP members Sanjay Singh and Raghav Chadha, who too were suspended from the Rajya Sabha. Images of Rinku marching through the Parliament grounds in 'chains', advocating for the liberation of the nation's democracy from oppression, circulated widely on social media.

Rinku had condemned the BJP-led central government for undermining democracy and urged the public to oust the saffron party from authority in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Who is Sushil Kumar Rinku?

Sushil Kumar Rinku, belonging to the Dalit community, initiated his political journey as a municipal corporation councillor and later ascended to the position of MLA under the Congress banner in 2017. However, his political trajectory shifted when he faced defeat in the 2022 assembly elections, losing to AAP candidate Sheetal Angural.

In April 2023, amidst the presence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in Jalandhar, Sushil Kumar Rinku resigned from membership with the Congress to align with the AAP. Subsequently, he was nominated as the AAP contender for the Jalandhar parliamentary constituency in the initial candidate roster.

Rinku contested and triumphed in the Jalandhar Lok Sabha by-election under the AAP banner, securing victory over Congress nominee Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary by a significant margin of 58,691 votes.

Initially, there were speculations about Rinku's potential inclination towards the BJP. Reports surfaced suggesting Rinku's dissatisfaction due to the non-execution of his pre-bypoll pledged initiatives, prompting a confidential meeting between him and Bhagwant Mann on March 19, as per news agency PTI.

More recently, Rinku advocated for a potential coalition with the Congress during an interview with a television channel.

Notably, the AAP is independently contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Punjab.

(With PTI Inputs)