In a massive blow to Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Adampur MLA Pawan Kumar Tinu is likely to join Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), as per sources. Not only this, sources also inform that the MLA is likely to be announced as AAP’s candidate for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 in Jalandhar. Rumours of Tinu leaving SAD to join AAP had been circulation for quite a while. Although Tinu had denied this a few days ago, our sources inform that this is likely to happen today. This decision would follow former MP Sushil Rinku leaving AAP to join BJP and get the ticket for Jalandhar Lok Sabha Seat.
In such a situation, it is likely to be a tight battle for the Jalandhar LS seat as Congress is also likely to announce Charanjit Channi for the Jalandhar LS seat. Channi and Tinu are both prominent Dalit faces and hold strong influence in the Doaba region according to political experts.
Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann had recently announced on X that the rest of the AAP candidates will be announced on April 16. In the first list, AAP had announced Sushil Rinku as their contestant for the Jalandhar Constituency, however his shift to BJP left AAP scratching their heads as to who would replace him for the Lok Sabha elections. Pawan Kumar Tinu’s move to AAP would serve as a major blow to SAD, who will be contesting the elections alone for the first time since 1996.
Who is Pawan Kumar Tinu?
Pawan Kumar Tinu is a two-time MLA from the Adampur Legislative Assembly Constituency, both times from a SAD ticket. In the 2022 by-elections, he suffered defeat at the hands of current Adampur MLA, Congress’ Sukhwinder Singh Kotli. Pawan Kumar used to be a member of Bahujan Samaj Party 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 out to Congress’ Santokh Singh Chaudhary. He had contested a Lok Sabha election on a BSP ticket before but had lost.
He had started his political career with Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) when he used to contest from Jalandhar South (now called Jalandhar West).
Tinu had contested as its Lok Sabha candidate in 2004, bagging 1.58 lakh votes but had soon fallen out with supremo Mayawati. He left the party in 2005 to join SAD. Tinu was elected MLA from the Adampur assembly constituency in Jalandhar in 2012 and 2017. He lost the 2022 assembly polls to Congress nominee Sukhwinder Kotli.
Pawan Kumar Tinu is a prominent Dalit leader and holds strong influence in the Doaba region of Punjab. He holds a strong image among the voters having secured victory twice in Punjab Legislative Assembly elections. Congress is likely to announce Charanjit Channi as their candidate for the Jalandhar LS Constituency, who is also a prominent Dalit leader. AAP will announce their list of candidates on April 16.