Despite the winter chill, poll temperature has began to shoot up as cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu on Sunday joined the Congress, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi are likely to meet in the next couple of days to finalise an electoral pact for the UP Assembly election.
Punjab is witnessing a three-cornered contest among the BJP-SAD, the Congress, and the AAP. The Congress is out of power in Punjab for the past 10 years and is making efforts to wrest the State from the SAD-BJP combine, while the AAP too has emerged a fierce contender for power.
Sidhu, who joined the Congress after meeting Rahul, is likely to contest from Amritsar East Assembly seat, party leaders said. Sidhu had resigned from the Rajya Sabha and quit the BJP following which his wife Navjot Kaur joined the Congress on November 28, 2016. Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh had said sometime back that Sidhu joining the party was only a matter of time.
After Sidhu’s formal entry into the party, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said in a statement, “Known for straight-talk, ideological commitment to the cause of nationalism as also wit and humour, we are certain that the Congress will be immensely strengthened in Punjab and elsewhere with the entry of Sidhu.”
Sidhu was earlier a BJP member of the lok Sabha from Amritsar and was apparently not happy when in the last lok Sabha polls he was replaced by Arun Jaitley, who was defeated by Amarinder Singh.
BJP’s ally Akali Dal, which has had frosty ties with Sidhu, was quick to hit out at the former Amritsar MP, saying he has joined the Congress “party and family” which had “attacked Darbar Sahib” (Golden Temple). Punjab’s Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal asked why Sidhu had come to the State “20 days before the (lS) elections” and said that he should come clean on the “bargain” with the Congress.
“U left BJP saying @akali_dal_ did not let U enter Punjab. Where were you since last ten monthsIJ Come clean and tell Punjabis (sic),” Sukhbir tweeted. The SAD chief also targeted Amarinder, asking him if he has been replaced by Sidhu as the Chief Ministerial candidate.
“Please clear the air, Are you in favour of making Navjot Sidhu the face of the Punjab Congress as done by Rahul Gandhi recentlyIJ,” he asked.
Amarinder, meanwhile, spoke to Sidhu on phone to welcome him into the party fold, saying it was “great news” and his joining would further strengthen the Congress in Punjab in the run-up to the State Assembly elections.
After quitting the Rajya Sabha, Sidhu was in touch with the AAP, led by Delhi Chief Minister ArvindKejriwal, but it did not materialise.
Congress sources said that now that Sidhu episode is over, the party will focus on Uttar Pradesh. He said that there might be confusion if any of the warring Samajwadi Party factions get the “cycle” symbol, but it is certain that Akhilesh faction of the Samajwadi Party and the Congress will contest Uttar Pradesh election as alliance partners.
Sources said that Akhilesh and Rahul are set to meet during this week to decide the number of seats both parties will contest. The Congress is likely to get between 70 and 80 seats, sources said.
Sources said Akhilesh’s wife and Kannauj MP Dimple Yadav and Congress’ star campaigner Priyanka Gandhi are engaged in backdoor negotiations.
Decision to rope in Dimple Yadav and Priyanka for campaigning has larger political connotations. Priyanka has star value and is known for her sharp political sense and ability to connect with voters with ease. The Congress has been urging her for a larger role in politics, but she has chosen to limit herself to family bastions of Rae Bareli and Amethi so far.
Prashant Kishore, the strategist hired by the Congress to revive this grand old party in Uttar Pradesh, had plans to use Priyanka’s star value in the elections. On the other hand, Dimple Yadav fits the portrait of an ideal wife and “bahu” in Indian politics.
Her entry into politics was a disaster. She lost the by-election to Raj Babbar, the present UP president of the Congress, but agreed to contest the next lok Sabha election on insistence of her husband.
During her husband’s tenure, she remained invisible most of the time but when it came to issues like women and children she advocated Government’s participation in mitigating their sufferings. Dimple is chairman UP Malnutrition Eradication Mission and forced her husband to adopt a village in Srawasti district, home to maximum number of malnourished children in UP.
Once the message of possible alliance between the SP and the Congress has seeped down, hoardings have come up in Allahabad with pictures of Priyanka Gandhi and Dimple Yadav. One of the posters read, “Mahilaon ka bajega danka (Women will call the shots).”
Another hoarding with pictures of Priyanka and Dimple said, “Juhutte vaado se dilayo nizaat, Uttar Pradesh ka karo vikas.”
Earlier posters have come up in Allahabad demanding bigger role for Priyanaka in Uttar Pradesh. One of the hoardings that time had read: “Priyanka laao, desh bachchao.”