Sidhu to break 'maun vrat' on Monday

Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu is likely to announce his next political step after resigning as Rajya Sabha member on Monday. His MlA wife, Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu on Friday said that Sidhu would “address media” at New Delhi on Monday. 

Dr Navjot, serving as Chief Parliamentary Secretary in SAD-BJP led Punjab Government, said that the former parliamentarian would “clear the picture” of his next plans. Ever since her husband resigned, it is Dr Navjot Kaur who has been doing all the talking, while Sidhu was observing “maun vrat” on Guru Purnima, and so on. 

It would be for the first time post-resignation when Sidhu would come face-to-face with the media to clear the air on his future course of action. Till now, Sidhu had just made a philosophical statement amid speculations that he would join the Aam Aadmi Party ahead of crucial elections in Punjab. 

The multi-faceted Sidhu erupted not only the Punjab political scene, but also the national level politics, by putting in his papers as Rajya Sabha MP, the post on which he was nominated by the BJP only recently. Describing it as a “burden”, Sidhu made 

clear his intentions of 

staying in Punjab and working for the State.

Moreover, it is still not clear whether the three-time lok Sabha MP has part ways with the BJP, as he has only resigned as Rajya Sabha MP. Though Sidhu has been maintaining a strategical silence, his wife has asserted that the former cricketer had called it quits both as MP and as BJP member. 

Dr Navjot, who too is a member of the BJP, has however not resigned yet. She has made it clear that she would wait for her husband’s decision, and would decide later. It is believed that she would follow her husband to join AAP, possibly the next month — to save herself from facing by-election. Even as AAP has, on several occasion, gave clear hints that Sidhu is all set to join the party, there is no official confirmation yet. 

At one point of time, it was conjectured that Sidhu would be the chief ministerial face of the AAP, which does not have any leader of the stature of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh. 

later, rumours are that Sidhu would not contest the elections and manage the party’s poll campaign, and his wife would contest the polls, and could be the CM candidate. However, the senior party leaders, including State convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur, Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann has indicated that the party would not give ticket to the “outsiders” but real party men. 

Meanwhile, Capt Amarinder, who had earlier criticised Sidhu for “deserting the BJP”, had also offered him a place in the Congress. “If he wants to come, he can be a part of it. We will certainly consider it…In a battle, one does not lose people, but gain. His family also served the Congress,” Capt Amarinder had said. 

His statement came after a meeting with party’s national vice-president Rahul Gandhi and senior leaders from Punjab, in which Sidhu was discussed at length.