Within a month the cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu started a new innings in Punjab politics by launching his own team — Awaaz-e-Punjab, the former BJP parliamentarian on Wednesday virtually walked back to the pavilion saying that the time was too less for them to win the game.
At the same time, he ‘welcomed’ any alliance for the betterment of Punjab, while making it clear that newly-formed front Awaaz-e-Punjab won’t be a political party but a forum. For, he did not want to “play spoilsport” by dividing anti-incumbency votes, or “confuse the people of Punjab” to benefit traditional players.
Sidhu’s volte-face has given rise to speculations of his ‘forum’ supporting the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as the former Rajya Sabha member made it clear that the forum’s intention is to break the “corroborative and collusive Badal-Amarinder nexus”.
However, Awaaz-e-Punjab’s key member, Pargat Singh, has maintained that the “forum” had decided not to form a political outfit but would rather have an alliance “with the Congress or Aam Aadmi Party”.
The development assumes significance as a section of voters was seeing Sidhu as a Chief Minister-in-making as his outfit had caused substantial ripples in Punjab politics, giving wakeful nights, though to some extent, to the traditional political parties including the SAD, BJP, the Congress, and also the AAP.
Even seasoned politicians, unhappy with their party, were exploring the feasibility of joining the “forum” having the support of “clean” politicians like former Olympian Pargat Singh and independent MlAs Balwinder Bains and Simarjeet Bains, popularly known as Bains brothers.
Awaaz-e-Punjab had given a new twist to the Punjab politics, but 53-year-old’s latest move against contesting 2017 elections gave rise to speculations on the role his “forum” would play during the elections, which, Sidhu claimed, had “a rousing response in Punjab”. Sidhu, on September 8, had formally launched the forum — Awaaz-e-Punjab — along with Indian hockey team’s former captain and SAD”s Jalandhar Cantonment MlA Pargat Singh and Bains brothers, after making a declaration online on September 2.
Annoyed with the BJP for “keeping him away from Punjab”, Sidhu had put in his papers as Rajya Sabha MP on July 18, and bade final adieu to the saffron party on September 16. Sidhu, in his press statement announcing his decision against Awaaz-e-Punjab contesting 2017 Punjab polls, said that majority were towards fighting elections in Punjab. “The Bains brothers have roared like lions and wanted to fight 117 seats in Punjab. Hockey legend Pargat Singh, the ‘Eternal Optimist’, was in the affirmative…I have pondered over the fluid political situation in Punjab, weighed the pros and cons and come to a conclusive decision,” his statement read.
listing out “four” reasons, he said: “We will not play spoilsport and instead facilitate the Punjab election…We shall not confuse the people of Punjab but give them clarity to vote in Punjab's interest.” “We will not divide the anti-incumbency vote bank which could indirectly benefit the corroborative and collusive Badal-Amarinder nexus which has plundered Punjab in the last 15 years,” he said adding that this would defeat our purpose of bringing a change for the betterment of Punjab.
lastly, he said: “The past is the best prophet to predict the future’…The minimum time taken by a new party to win a state is almost two years, ample testimony to the fact that three months is too short a time for this herculean task.”
Making it clear that their “battle is to shake the system that has ruined Punjab”, he said that there was no personal or political vendetta, but ‘just a burning desire to place Punjab ahead of us and reinforce the positive forces’. He added that the ‘forum’ welcomes any alliance for the betterment of Punjab and will not be a political party.
Confirming the decision, Pargat Singh said that Awaaz-e-Punjab would not be a “fourth front” in Punjab politics and the decision has been taken unanimously. “Our non-political forum is open for poll alliance with any political parties including AAP and the Congress, for betterment of Punjab,” the former sportsperson told The Pioneer. The former hockey player gave enough indications of “possibility” Awaaz-e-Punjab leaders joining AAP. “Anything is possible…We are open for everything for betterment of Punjab and the decision of not floating any other political party was also taken for the betterment of Punjab,” he said.
Making it clear that he would “definitely” contest forthcoming Punjab election, Pargat Singh said: “I am of the firm opinion of not allowing any split of votes amidst strong anti-incumbency factor against the ruling alliance.” Though ludhiana MlAs, the Bains brothers, said that they would disclose their future course of action in a separate press statement later in the day, no such move was made till the filing of the report. In fact, The Pioneer’s repeated attempts to contact them proved futile.
AAP THE lAST RESORTIJ
AAP, it seems, would be the last resort for these foursome. As Sidhu had directly stated that he wanted to break the Badal-Amarinder nexus, AAP turned out to be the only option. In fact, before floating Awaaz-e-Punjab, Sidhu was hobnobbing with AAP, but the deal could not strike as the AAP wanted the three-time Amritsar MP to just campaign for the party and not to contest the polls.
Moreover, AAP had also approached Pargat Singh, while the former hockey player had indicated that he may also hold the “broom”, before the announcement of the fourth front.
But one thing that is to be seen was the shape that the “alliance” would take. Sidhu, at the time of announcing his “forum” had openly lashed out at AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal from left-right-and-centre.
SIDHU-BJP CONNECTION
Even as Sidhu had, of late, resigned from the BJP, his MlA wife Dr Navjot Kaur is still the part of the saffron brigade.
Sidhu had never used any harsh words against the BJP and its national leadership, except airing his grievances. He came down heavily on the State Government, especially the SAD and the Badals, but spared his party—the BJP. His outfit was dubbed as BJP-sponsored by his rivals — a baggage he is supposed to carry even after parting ways with the saffron party. ‘What would be Sidhu’s next move’ — is the main questionIJ
Sidhu’s decision gets mixed response
Chandigarh: Former parliamentarian Navjot Singh Sidhu’s decision of keeping Awaaz-e-Punjab just as a forum and not a political party received a mixed response from the who’s who of Punjab politics. For some the decision was “expected”, while some were “shocked”, and some “welcomed” it.
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal minced no words to say that the cricketer-turned politician “ran away from floating party fearing public outrage”.