In a surprise move that will have its bearing on the Punjab polls, BJP leader and nominated Rajya Sabha Member Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday resigned from the Rajya Sabha. He is all set to join the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which hopes to make a major electoral foray in the State.
Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari accepted Sidhu’s resignation with immediate effect. Sidhu will be a prominent face and a big crowd puller for the AAP, which is hoping to upstage the BJP-SAD combine in the Assembly elections early next year.
The resignation of 52-year-old Sidhu has jolted the BJP as it had nominated former Amritsar lok Sabha MP to the Rajya Sabha on April 22, something which the party thought would have ‘pacified’ the disgruntled leader.
Sidhu had made way for senior party leader Arun Jaitley who contested lok Sabha poll from Amritsar in 2014 and lost it. The former cricketer was not happy with giving up his lok Sabha seat and did not campaign for Jaitley during the elections.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal hailed Sidhu’s resignation from the Upper House, saying it requires courage to give up a Rajya Sabha membership to “save” his State.
Top AAP sources said the 52-year-old politician will join the party in a few days. There was speculation that Sidhu may be in the race for AAP’s chief ministerial candidate in the State.
“People can give their rt hand for an RS seat. Ever seen a sitting RS MP resigning to save his stateIJ I salute Sidhu ji for his courage,” Kejriwal, who is currently touring Punjab, tweeted.
Senior AAP leaders Sanjay Singh and AAP’s lok Sabha member Bhagwant Singh Mann also welcomed Sidhu’s decision to resign from the Rajya Sabha but parried questions whether he would join the party and become its CM face. “Whoever joins the AAP, he is clearly told that it has to be unconditional. Even when I had joined the AAP, I had said that I will be happy if I am assigned just the duty of pasting posters of the party. I want to make it clear that there is no race for any post in our party...The CM candidate will be decided by the party,” Mann said.
In a brief statement on his resignation, Sidhu did not reveal much about his future plans but there were indications that he was unhappy with the BJP.
“At the behest of the honourable PM, I had accepted the Rajya Sabha nomination for the welfare of Punjab.
“With the closure of every window leading to Punjab, the purpose stands defeated. It is now a mere burden. I prefer not to carry it.
“In the war of right or wrong, you can’t afford to be neutral rather than being self-centered. Punjab’s interest is paramount,” said former cricketer-turned politician who is also often seen in comedy television shows.
His wife, Navjot Kaur, who is Chief Parliamentary Secretary in Punjab where BJP shares power with Akali Dal, had created ripples on April 1 (April Fool’s day) announcing her resignation from the BJP.
Meanwhile, Punjab BJP president Vijay Sampla said in Chandigarh that Sidhu did not take the party into confidence before resigning from the Rajya Sabha and claimed the party will not be affected adversely even if he joins the AAP.
“They did not (Navjot Singh Sidhu, his wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu) inform me about their decision. As far as I know they have not informed about their move to the BJP high-command,” Sampla said.
“They are free to make their decision and they can go wherever they want to,” said Sampla, adding the party had showered them with ‘maan samman’.
“There is not going to be any effect on the party. Sidhu did not enter Punjab for four years. Whether the party was not functioningIJ” he asked.
As about reports that Sidhu may join AAP, Sampla wondered what kind of role he would play in AAP which has even “failed” to fulfil its promises in Delhi.