AAP MLA Rupinder Kaur Ruby's Congress entry heats up Punjab politics

MLA Kaur Ruby's resignation from Aam Admi Party (AAP) has heated up Punjab politics with the BJP taking a jibe at AAP's senior leadership. Ruby was on Wednesday inducted into the Congress in the presence of Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi and state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu

Chandigarh: The resignation of Rupinder Kaur Ruby, Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Bathinda rural, from the primary membership of the party, has intensified the state politics with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) having taken a jibe at AAP's senior leadership.

BJP leader Sukhpal Singh Sarai said that this decision taken by Ruby was bound to happen and that in the AAP, there is no respect for volunteers who work hard.

"In the coming days, MLAs and volunteers from the Aam Aadmi Party will also say goodbye to the party. Arvind Kejriwal had made big claims to get seats in Punjab and the kind of loot that was done by the party's representatives at the time of ticket distribution, had today led the AAP volunteers and workers to distance themselves."

Speaking of the development, AAP spokesperson Jagtar Singh Sanghera said that Aam Aadmi Party is a party of principles and that Ruby was given a ticket on behalf of Arvind Kejriwal. He further said that many are leaving the party and joining the Congress for reasons best known to them. Aam Aadmi Party gives tickets only to those who work hard, he added.

A day after her resignation, Ruby was on Wednesday inducted into the Congress in the presence of Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi and state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu. Ruby announced her resignation from the party's membership late on Tuesday (Nov 9).

Taking to Twitter, Ruby said, "Mr.@ArvindKejriwal ji Convener, AAP & @BhagwantMann ji...This is hereby to inform you that I am resigning with immediate effect from the membership of the Aam Aadmi Party. Please accept my resignation. Thanx Rupinder Kaur Ruby.(MLA Bti.rural)."

Ruby's resignation comes ahead of the Punjab Assembly election which is scheduled to take place next year.

In 2017 Assembly polls, Congress won an absolute majority in the state by winning 77 seats and ousted the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-BJP government after 10 years. Aam Aadmi Party emerged as the second-largest party, winning 20 seats in 117-member Punjab Legislative Assembly. While SAD managed to win 15 seats, BJP could manage to secure only 3 seats.