Sidhu welcome but no word from him so far, says Congress

Party discounts reports Sidhu was bargaining hard with both Congress and AAP, says he can join without any condition

The Congress on Monday said that former BJP leader Navjot Singh Sidhu had till date made no offer to join the grand old party but was welcome if he chose to do so unconditionally.

Punjab will have assembly polls early next year.

"Neither Sidhu nor anyone from his side has approached us," AICC in charge of Punjab affairs Asha Kumari told Business Standard.

She discounted reports that Sidhu was bargaining hard with both the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party but said the former cricketer was welcome if he decided to join the grand old party without any condition.

Political rumour mills had gone into an overdrive last week after both Asha Kumari and Amarinder Singh met Rahul Gandhi amid speculation that Sidhu, a former BJP Rajya Sabha member, was negotiating with the Congress to join the grand old party.

Quelling rumours, Asha Kumari said that Sidhu in fact had not even met either Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi or Punjab Congress Chief Amarinder Singh.

AICC sources said the party was open on taking in Sidhu but it was for him to decide. These sources said the Congress had a bright chance of winning the next assembly elections and Sidhu would be an add-on as he is a popular former cricketer besides being a household name as a TV personality.

Sidhu has for long been a regular feature on many comedy shows on the small screen.

Of late, Sidhu floated his own outfit Awaaz-e-Punjab but his wife Navjot Kaur is still a BJP lawmaker in the state. Congress sources said first there has to be clarity if the couple would join the party or Sidhu alone.

When asked if they see Sidhu as a doubtful character, since he was trying for a good deal both with the Congress and the AAP, sources said they would take a call when he approaches them formally.

Sources they were watching the situation as a court has ordered proceedings against Sidhu in a poll-code violation related case recently.

Incidentally, Navjot Sidhu's father Bhagwant Singh Sidhu, was president of Patiala district Congress and had even served as attorney general when Amarinder Singh was chief minister.