Navjot Singh Sidhu joins Congress before Punjab elections

Navjot Singh Sidhu, former Rajya Sabha member from Punjab on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) platform, was inducted into the Congress party here on Sunday, in the presence of party vice-president Rahul Gandhi.

This comes shortly before the legislative assembly poll in the state, on February 4. Sidhu’s wife, Navjot Kaur, an MLA from the Amritsar East assembly constituency, originally on a BJP ticket, had joined the Congress on November 28. 

Sidhu, a former Test cricketer-turned-TV personality, is expected to campaign across Punjab. However, there are concerns on how well he’d get along with local party leaders. Triggered, among other things, was the fact that’s joined the Congress in the presence of the party vice-president in Delhi, rather than in Chandigarh. Further, no state party leaders were present at his joining.

There had been speculation in party circles that Sidhu was the central leadership’s choice, rather than of local leaders.

“Sidhu has aspirations. He is not coming only to become an MLA,” said a party senior.

However, the Congress’ state campaign head and chief ministerial face, Amarinder Singh, telephoned Sidhu and welcomed him. Those who favour Sidhu’s joining said his wit and humour, image of a ‘clean’ person and of being a nationalist would be an add-on for the Congress.

Party insiders also said Sidhu in the Congress fold would be used by the party after the polls as well to target the ruling Akali Dal and the BJP.

Sidhu, who hails from Patiala, contested for the first time on a BJP ticket from Amritsar in 2004. He later successfully contested the  by-election for the Lok Sabha from there. He retained the seat in the 2009 general elections. In April 2016, he took oath as a member of the Rajya Sabha but resigned in July. Soon thereafter, he had formally quit the BJP and formed a new political front, Awaaz-e-Punjab.