A day after cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu virtually clean bowled his team, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), it is still not clear whether he would bat for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab.
While the AAP on Tuesday held a high-profile meeting in the national Capital to consider the pros and cons of having Sidhu in its team, the saffron brigade virtually shut the doors on him. The BJP claimed that it was yet to receive his resignation, but made it clear that no attempts would be made to have him back in its fold.
His MlA wife Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu, meanwhile, clarified that Sidhu had simultaneously resigned from the Rajya Sabha and the party as well, but she was still a part of the Government and the BJP and would continue as Chief Parliamentary Secretary (CPS).
“Sidhu’s resignation from Rajya Sabha means that he has also resigned from the BJP,” said Dr Navjot, adding, “I have not resigned from the BJP and I am working as an MlA and I am working for my party.”
“I am an individual and take my decision only after my husband makes any final announcement,” she added.
At the same time, Dr Navjot said that she is “not yet aware if he is going to join the AAP. But definitely he will come to Punjab”.
No official confirmation of Sidhu’s resignation from the BJP has been made. In fact, the party has claimed that the Sidhu couple is very much part of the BJP. “Both Navjot Singh Sidhu and his wife Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu are still in the BJP,” said State BJP chief and Union Minister Vijay Sampla.
On the other hand, sources told The Pioneer that the BJP high command has clarified to all leaders that no attempt should be made by anyone to pacify and bring Sidhu back in the party fold. Moreover, all doors for Sidhu’s return have also been closed for him.
Hurling googly at the BJP and the SAD, especially the Badals, BJP MlA Dr Navjot minced no words to blame them for “forcing” three-times Amritsar MP to quit the party. She maintained that the saffron party failed to perform well in Punjab.
“Promises have been broken, development is missing in Punjab. So many big projects are spoken of, but nothing is happening on ground,” she said.
Amritsar East MlA maintained that her husband had resigned from the BJP due to differences with the SAD which has “pushed him to the wall and he was left with no option”. She added that she was not aware that Sidhu was going to resign and waiting to listen from him about his future plans.
“It is our principal stand that if BJP continues its alliance with the SAD, we would not contest the next elections on BJP ticket. And he has taken the decision as per his conscience,” said Dr Navjot.
The Sidhu couple has all along been urging the BJP high command to part ways with the SAD, which has made the saffron party to play a second fiddle in the government despite sharing the power, and contest 2017 State Assembly polls on its own. The BJP, at one point of time, was said to have considered this option after registering back-to-back massive victories in 2014 lok Sabha polls and Assembly polls in neighbouring Haryana the same year.
Dr Navjot said that Sidhu was not ready for any other option other than to serve Punjab. “His vision and mentality is very clear that he wants to serve Punjab. He was not ready for any other option other than Punjab. The party was very clear that they want to work with Akali Dal, so that was the only choice left for him that he wants to serve Punjab,” she said.
“If the BJP and SAD have difference in opinion and their party workers do not bond well, then they must part ways and work separately. They must contemplate on issues they do not agree with each other. However, they have given a clear message that they would contest together,” she added.
Coming face-to-face with the media a day after Sidhu’s decision stirred the political circles, not only in Punjab but also at the national level, Dr Navjot said that her husband had not betrayed the party.
“He was sitting at home for the last four years. He was always loyal to Punjab. He won three times in a row from Amritsar lok Sabha seat. He had resigned from lok Sabha on moral grounds when he was given sentence by the court. He was re-elected with thumping margin. Then all of sudden, party told him to contest from some other seat which he clearly refused,” said Dr Navjot.
Sidhu’s aim was to work for Punjab, but the party wanted him to serve the country…He wanted to work for Punjab, and thus forced to resign, she said.
‘BADAl WOUlD BE HAPPY IF WE lEAVE PUNJAB’
Taking Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal head-on, the rebellious Dr Navjot on Tuesday said that the five-time Chief Minister would be happy if she and her husband left the State. She went on to add that the senior Badal cannot accept any person working better than his son — Deputy Chief Minister and SAD president Sukhbir Badal.
“His intentions were clear from the very beginning. People will come to know his intentions now. leave the resignation, he will be very happy if I and my husband leave Punjab,” said Dr Navjot, who has announced to continue as CPS in Badal’s Government.
She added, “leave us, anyone who wants to do well for Punjab or wants to rise above his son, he cannot accept that. He will not accept any person who can work better than his children.”
Every time when Dr Navjot raised a banner of revolt against her own government for “ignoring” her constituency, Badal had always tried to calm her by saying that she was just like a daughter to him. “If he would have really treated me like his daughter, he would have come to my constituency and seen the agony of my people, when I needed him. People elected me and made me MlA, I can’t just go,” she added while calling Badal “the biggest opportunist ever”.
‘WIll DECIDE AFTER SIDHU TAKES FINAl call’
Making it clear that she stood by her decision not to contest on BJP ticket if the party continues its alliance with the SAD, Dr Navjot said that she would decide her future after her husband takes final decision.
Giving enough indications, she said that she was an “ardent fan of Arvind Kejriwal”.
“I liked him because he talks about giving good education, free health facilities and cheap power to people. He is ground level worker like me,” she said.
At the same time, Dr Navjot said that Sidhu would make his stand clear whether Sidhu will now join AAP very soon before the media.
“He has to decide on this. My take on any party is that the people of Punjab want clear, neat and good governance,” she said, adding that AAP now appeared “the only option” for the three-time lok Sabha MP who wants to serve Punjab.
Attacking her own government, she maintained that the SAD-BJP alliance in Punjab has failed to fulfill promises and the “AAP is a new alternative in the State”.