I stand by my views, AAP-Cong alliance beneficial for both parties: MP Rinku

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s lone Member of Parliament Sushil Kumar Rinku, who is under fire for his statements pertaining to AAP-Congress alliance, on Thursday maintained that he still believes and is in favour of the tie-up for the Lok Sabha elections in Punjab.
“These are my personal views and I stand by what I said yesterday in a TV interview. My response is supported by logic and facts as I still believe that the alliance between Congress and AAP be beneficial for both parties,” said Rinku, who had won the Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll on an AAP ticket in May last year.
In a TV interview to a private channel, Rinku said that if an alliance between both parties could happen in other parts of the country, why can’t it be materialised in Punjab.
“It is not a local election but a country’s election aiming to save democracy. Both parties should leave their personal interests aside and get together in alliance for the country’s sake,” he said.
Notably, Rinku has spent most of his political career with the Congress and had joined AAP just before the Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll.
Talking to Hindustan Times, Rinku said he is not dictating or directing anyone or party to go ahead with the alliance. Moreover, it is the prerogative of AAP’s senior leadership to take such a decision.
“I have said nothing wrong which would dent AAP’s prospects. The alliance between AAP and INDIA bloc was tested as an experiment during Chandigarh mayoral polls and it went fruitful in favour of the alliance,” the Jalandhar MP said.
It may be mentioned that Mann, who held detailed discussion with Rinku on Tuesday, outrightly rejected any alliance with the Congress in Punjab under the banner of INDIA. Moreover, CM Mann on Thursday announced that the candidates for the remaining five parliamentary constituencies, including Ludhiana, Gurdaspur, Anandpur Sahib, Ferozepur and Hoshiarpur, will be declared in the coming days.
Rinku’s statement came at the time when speculations are rife that he is reluctant to contest the Lok Sabha elections on AAP ticket from Jalandhar and was in contact with the saffron party. However, Rinku has refuted such speculations.
During CM Mann’s two-day visit to Jalandhar recently, the party’s cadre and leaders had underscored Rinku’s reluctance to contesting the general elections from Jalandhar. “I will contest the Lok Sabha polls with full sincerity and spare no efforts to retain the seat for the party,” said Rinku.
Meanwhile, leader of opposition Partap Singh Bajwa said that though he didn’t want to react to Rinku’s statement, Punjab Congress had made it clear that there would be no alliance with AAP at any cost.