Navjot Singh Sidhu switch drama continues

New Delhi: The guessing game over cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu joining the Congress is still on. Despite meeting party vice-president Rahul Gandhi twice in the last fortnight, Mr Sidhu is still not officially in the Congress camp.

His “daunting political ambitions” combined with “cold feet” over taking on Punjab chief minister Prakash Singh Badal in Lambi constituency is apparently delaying the decision to officially join the Congress.

Punjab Congress president Captain Amarinder, meanwhile, has sought the party high command’s permission to fight the coming Assembly elections from Mr Badal’s constituency to ensure total defeat of the Akali leadership in Punjab. Punjab votes on February 4.

Regarding Mr Sidhu’s “political ambitions”, a senior Congress leader said that the former cricketer has been relentlessly lobbying for the post of deputy chief minister if the Congress came to power. The Congress high command has not yet made any commitment in this regard.

It may be recalled that Mr Sidhu quit the BJP last year after alleging that he had been sidelined by the party. He then jumped onto the AAP bandwagon, thinking that Arvind Kejriwal’s party would project him as its face in Punjab polls. After AAP’s refusal to do, Mr Sidhu formed his own outfit — Awaz-e-Punjab — whose “main intention” was to “save Punjab from the scourge of drugs and the mafia system working in the state”. The outfit disintegrated as rapidly as it was formed. While two of its leaders went to AAP, Mr Sidhu and his wife, Navjot Kaur, moved to the Congress. So far only Mr Sidhu’s wife has officially joined the Congress.

While AAP dared to move ahead without Mr Sidhu, the Congress is still pursuing him for his reported “popularity in Punjab”. On Saturday, Capt. Amrinder Singh told the local media that “Sidhu is 100 per cent in the Congress and, as Navjot Kaur has announced, he is a candidate from Amritsar East.”

The Congress headquarters has not yet officially confirmed Capt. Singh’s claims.

Despite his so-called “popularity”, Mr Sidhu has declined the Congress’ offer to contest against Punjab chief minister, while Capt. Amrinder Singh, keen to take on Mr Badal, has told the party high command, “I want to defeat the top Akali leadership as it is responsible for destroying the state through their drugs, mafia and goonda raj and is guilty of ruining its trade, industry and agriculture.”

Capt. Singh’s own constituency is Patiala, and he may end up fighting for two Assembly seats.