New Delhi/Chandigarh: The crisis ridden Congress in election-bound Punjab, is all set to welcome Rupinder Kaur Ruby, an MLA from Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) who has resigned from the party. The development is seen as a major setback for AAP who is seeking to go big in the state in the upcoming polls.
In a tweet on Tuesday night, Ruby addressed her resignation to AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab unit head Bhagwant Mann. “This is to inform u that I am resigning with immediate effect from the membership of Aam Aadmi Party. Please accept my resignation. Thx Rupinder Kaur Ruby. (MLA Bti.rural),” her tweet read.
Though the 33-year-old first-time MLA did not cite any reason for her exit from the party ahead of the assembly elections early next year, Harpal Singh Cheema, AAP legislature party leader said that Ruby was not going to get the AAP ticket and therefore she is joining the Congress.
“Rupinder Ruby is our younger sister, be happy wherever you go. This time, she had no chance of getting a ticket from the AAP so she is joining the Congress. The Congress is requested not to cheat Ruby and should give her the ticket from Bathinda Rural,” Cheema tweeted.
Ruby met Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi and All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary in-charge of the state's affairs Harish Chaudhary earlier on Tuesday.
Her relations with the AAP were getting strained over the past few weeks when she began social activities in the adjoining assembly segment of Bhucho Mandi. The MLA had to face embarrassment recently when a group of party volunteers from her constituency publicly complained to Cheema about her performance.
AAP loses four of 20 AAP MLAs to Congress
Of the 20 AAP MLAs, four – Sukhpal Singh Khaira, Jagdev Singh Kamalu, Pirmal Singh Khalsa and Nazar Singh Manshahia, are in the Congress Party now.
While Khaira, Kamalu and Khalsa, joined the ruling party in June this year, Manshahia had joined forces with the Congress in April 2019, just days before the Lok Sabha elections.
Sight relief for Congress in the state
The Congress, which is reeling under infighting between factions, got a slight relief on Tuesday after the Congress, giving in to Sidhu's pressure, accepted the resignation of Advocate General A.P.S. Deol -- a decision that is being seen in political circles as lessening the "friction" between Chief Minister Charanjit Channi and Congress state chief Navjot Sidhu.
Sidhu has been demanding the replacement of Deol, who had represented former Director General of Police Sumedh Singh Saini in cases related to the 2015 sacrilege and subsequent police firing on protesters.
Earlier, Sidhu had tweeted: "Technically, any lawyer can become AG and any IPS officer can become DG but if we talk about morals and ethics of government, as we promised to the people of Punjab that we will give justice to them in sacrilege cases."
(With Input from Agencies)
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