Sidhu has quit the BJP, will not return: Wife

Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, who resigned from the Rajya Sabha on Monday, has quit the BJP as well and would not return to its fold, his wife said here on Tuesday.

Sidhu's wife, Navjot Kaur Sidhu, who is the sitting Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator from the Amritsar East assembly seat and a chief parliamentary secretary (CPS) in the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance government in Punjab, told media here that since Sidhu had resigned from the Rajya Sabha, it meant that he has quit the BJP also.

She said that Sidhu had resigned as he wanted to serve Punjab, making it clear that the three-time Lok Sabha member from Amritsar parliamentary constituency could be headed towards the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), seven months ahead of the crucial assembly polls in Punjab.

She said that Sidhu, who was nominated by the Narendra Modi government to the Rajya Sabha in April this year to placate him.

Navjot Kaur said that she had not resigned from the BJP or as CPS (one rank below a minister) as yet. "I will take a decision once he comes out and says what he wants to say (regarding his resignation)."

"He (Sidhu) will decide in the coming days what he wants to do," Navjot Kaur said.

"His vision and mentality was very clear that he wanted to work for Punjab...the party (BJP) was very clear that they wanted to work only with the Akali Dal. So that (Rajya Sabha resignation) was the only choice available (to Sidhu)," she said.

On Sidhu's joining the AAP, Navjot Kaur said: "That he will decide."

The Sidhu couple have been critical of the Akali Dal, particularly the ruling Badal family.

In the past, Navjot Kaur has been critical of the policies of the Punjab government, headed by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, of which she is herself a part.

Sidhu was denied the Lok Sabha ticket for the Amritsar parliamentary seat during the April-May general election in 2014. The BJP had fielded Arun Jaitley, now Union Finance Minister, instead.

An upset Sidhu did not enter Amritsar for a single day to campaign for Jaitley, who lost to Congress leader Captain Amarinder Singh by over one lakh votes.

--IANS

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