With more than a month to go for the Lok Sabha Elections in Punjab, the key constituency of Jalandhar is witnessing leaders changing their alliances every day. As a result, the people of Jalandhar may find it difficult whom to believe in and whom they should vote for. Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat is of great historical significance as it gave India its 12th Prime Minister and even Foreign Minister named Inder Kumar Gujral. However, the political landscape of 2024 is different, and political leaders have switched their alliances to fight the Lok Sabha Elections from the Jalandhar constituency. Below is a list of leaders who switched their alliances to fight Lok Sabha Elections 2024 from Jalandhar-
1) Sushil Rinku
After the BJP-SAD parley talks failed, the saffron party gave a major jolt to the Aam Aadmi Party by roping in its lone & sitting MP Sushil Rinku. Notably, AAP had announced Sushil Rinku as its candidate to fight the General Elections 2024 from Jalandhar, however, he quit the party and also tendered his resignation from the MP post. Rinku accused the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government of not fulfilling its promises and justified his decision to switch sides for the 'development of Jalandhar'.
The former Jalandhar MP Sushil Rinku started his journey as counciller in the Jalandhar Municipal Corporation. He first became an MLA on a Congress ticket in 2017. He subsequently went on to suffer defeat in the 2022 Assembly elections at the hands of AAP Candidate, Sheetal Angural. However, in a masterstroke, Rinku left Congress to contest the Jalandhar by-elections on AAP ticket and managed to secure the LS seat.
Most recently, Rinku surprised voters everywhere with a shock move to BJP. His decision was met with severe public outcry from AAP supporters who labeled him and fellow turncoat Sheetal Angural traitors (gaddar). This shift made BJP Rinku’s third political party.
2) Pawan Kumar Tinu
In a setback to Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), its former chief parliamentary secretary and two-time MLA Pawan Kumar Tinu, a key Dalit face, joined Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the presence of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. A day later, Pawan Tinu was announced as the candidate of AAP from the Jalandhar constituency.
In the 2022 by-elections, Pawan Tinu suffered defeat at the hands of current Adampur MLA, Congress’ Sukhwinder Singh Kotli. Tinu used to be a member of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and was reportedly close friends with Kotli. Pawan Kumar won the Legislative Assembly elections in 2014 and 2017 on the SAD ticket. He also contested the Lok Sabha Elections in Jalandhar in 2014, but lost to Congress’ Santokh Singh Chaudhary.
3) Charanjit Singh Channi
Former Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi will be fighting Lok Sabha Elections 2024 from Jalandhar on Congress ticket. Technically, Charanjit Singh Channi is not a political turncoat as he has been in Congress for many years, however, he indeed switched his alliances. Channi first contested as an independent candidate in 2007 and won from Chamkaur Sahib. Thereafter, he remained with the Manpreet Badal-led Peoples Party of Punjab. In 2012, Channi joined the Congress party. Following that he was again elected as a legislator from the same seat. Notably, Channi's stature rose when he became Chief Minister of Punjab just five months before the 2022 Assembly Elections.
4) Mahinder Singh Kaypee
In a setback for Congress, Mahinder Singh Kaypee, its former member of Parliament, 67, joined the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in Jalandhar. SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal reached Mahinder Kaypee’s residence in Jalandhar and inducted him into the party. Following the pattern, minutes after his joining, Sukhbir announced that Mahinder Kaypee would be the party candidate from the Jalandhar reserved Lok Sabha constituency.
Mahinder Singh Kaypee is a former president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) and a three-time MLA. Kaypee was among the top contenders from this Dalit-dominated parliamentary segment but the Congress announced former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi as its candidate on April 14. As a result, Mahinder left Congress and joined SAD.
Note- Apart from these four candidates, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has fielded Balwinder Kumar as its candidate from the Jalandhar Lok Sabha constituency. Balwinder Kumar is not a political turncoat. Balwinder served as the party's General Secretary. Balwinder Kumar is highly educated in terms of qualifications. He is armed with two PG degrees, one in English and the other in journalism, and also has cleared LLB. Balwinder had even got a government job in the PR department but he reportedly refused it to remain in politics. Notably, in the 2019 LS Polls, Balwinder had finished third.