It’s not an end of the road for Navjot Singh Sidhu in the Congress party with the indication that the cricketer-turned-politician may be inducted into the all-powerful Congress Working Committee (CWC).
Staying away from the media and his supporters and party workers ever since he was divested of Local Government portfolio, Sidhu on Tuesday met the councillors, and workers of his assembly constituency, Amritsar East — giving enough indications that he may soon show his cards that he has been keeping close to his chest all this while. It is believed that the former minister may soon be given his “due” in the party at the national level. But, Sidhu had already conveyed to the party high command that he only wanted to concentrate and work for Punjab, rather than joining the national politics.
Sources told The Pioneer that Sidhu, who has been sidelined by the state party leaders, would be meeting his workers and supporters, who have been thronging his Amritsar residence since the day he had vacated his official residence at Chandigarh and reached his hometown. But, Sidhu has been maintaining a distance from them.
Sidhu’s ouster from the State Cabinet with the acceptance of his resignation was, so far, being seen as his defeat. But the latest developments may suggest that his contribution in the party was being actually recognised with the party high command, especially Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, insisting on giving him a major role to play.
It has been learnt that the party high command would try to persuade Sidhu to represent the party at the national level, especially after he toured almost the entire country during Lok Sabha elections as the party’s star campaigner.
Sidhu, in the run up to elections, had targeted the BJP-led Central Government, especially the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with strong facts and figures addressing more than 100 rallies and press conferences across country.
And with the changing circumstances and political equations in the State, Sidhu may decide to take over a new role for the national cause.
Notably, it was Priyanka Gandhi who played a major role in roping in Sidhu into the Congress. In fact, Sidhu has all along been making a direct contact with the Gandhi brother-sister duo.
He met the two after the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh had changed his portfolio and allotted his Power which he categorically refused to accept. It has been learnt that at that time, Sidhu was given an assurance of a bigger role in future.
Even as the rival political parties and other fringe groups are trying to woo Sidhu, it is certain that the former cricketer would not snap his ties with the grand old party, as of now. Differences between Sidhu and his Chief Minister reached its peak with the former cricketer’s ‘friendly match’ jibe during an election rally at Bathinda. Peeved, Capt Aamrinder minced no words to dub Sidhu as “non-performing” minister while making it clear that he intend to change his portfolio. Even though Sidhu presented facts and figures to the media while staying away from the official meetings, Capt Amarinder took away the local government ministry from him. Irate Sidhu refused to take over the charge of his new department, while Capt Amarinder refused to budge from his stand.
Despite intervention by the party high command, the stalemate between the two continued for over a month with finally Sidhu putting in his papers in a dramatic way by sharing his month-old resignation letter to the then party chief Rahul Gandhi on Twitter.
As Sidhu sent his “one-line” resignation letter to Capt Amarinder at his official residence while he was in the national capital, the Chief Minister unsurprisingly accepting it and forwarding the same to the Governor VP Singh Badnore, who also took no time to approve it on Saturday.