With more than a month after Navjot Singh Sidhu resigned from Rajya Sabha and promised to announce his future plans soon, there is no indication from the cricketer- turned-politician about his future political moves, even as there was enough indication in last one month from his wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu that the AAP would be obvious choice for her husband.
However, with Mr Sidhu’s date with the AAP not going as per plans, there are little political options left for him. As all parties in Punjab have kept its doors open for Mr Sidhu, but none is showing any urgency to take him, especially on his terms.
The political circles in Punjab are abuzz with the stories that how Mr Sidhu is himself to be blamed for limiting his political options. Mr Sidhu has put himself in classic predicament where he is welcomed by all but wanted by none. The political observers feel that it is the political ambition of the Navjot Singh Sidhu which has blocked his entry into the AAP so far. It is an open secret now that Navjot Singh Sidhu sought some assurances before joining the AAP, most important of which was to project himself as the chief ministerial candidate in Punjab Assembly elections and party ticket for both him and his wife. Both these conditions were not acceptable to the AAP.
Even though the AAP is saying that Mr Sidhu is welcome to join the party, however, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal had clearly told Mr Sidhu that there could not be any preconditions for joining the AAP. The local leadership of the AAP in Punjab was very skeptical about the entry of Mr Sidhu on any preconditions. There was bitter opposition of Mr Sidhu’s projection as chief ministerial candidate by many leaders, including party MP Bagwant Mann.
The Congress party has also welcomed Mr Sidhu to join the party. State Congress president Amrinder Singh has on more than one occasion has said that Mr Sidhu’s parents had an affiliation with the party as they were active members of the Congress, so it would be natural for Mr Sidhu to join the party.
However, keeping in view that for all his political life Sidhu was fighting against Congress in Punjab, it would not be easy for him make such a U-turn.
Interestingly, Sidhu has not yet completely burnt its bridges with the BJP as he is yet to quit the party. The Punjab BJP president Vijay Sampla has told that Sidhu is part of the party and speculation of his joining the AAP is only created by the media. However, it would difficult for Sidhu get any major responsibility within BJP in future.
