NAVJOT SIDHU SET TO RETURN BACK INTO BJP

REPORTS SAY HE MAY CONTEST LOK SABHA POLL FROM AMRITSAR SEAT AS SAFFRON PARTY NOMINEE

As the Parliament polls 2024 are waiting announcement any day now, the political circles in India particularly Punjab are discussing return of former Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President Navjot Singh Sidhu back into the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), the party that is in power in the country since 2014 and is making all efforts to be back into the power for the third consecutive term.

1963 born Navjot Singh Sidhu aka Sherry is former cricketer commentators, television presenter, and a retired international cricketer, also remained Local bodies and Tourism and Cultural Affairs minister in the Punjab government when Capt. Amarinder Singh was the Chief Minister.

Sherry know for his oratorical skills, and for his open criticism he had rough relations with the leadership of the Congress party. In Congress party circles, Sidhu is going against the party discipline and program for holding rallies independent of the leaders and cadres will and decisions.

BJP functionaries in Punjab are of the opinion when the party has set a target to 400 seats in the 543-strong lok sabha Sidhu’s return in the saffron party would contribute towards the winning target. A BJP leader revealed that on his return to BJP he would most likely contest from a lok sabha seat.

Amritsar lok sabha constituency segment being a traditional BJP stronghold, chances are rife that Sidhu could be a winning candidate if the party chose to field him from Amritsar.

However, a Congress leader dismissed the possibility of Sidhu joining BJP. “A leader who keeps hopping from one party to another loses his charm and credibility”, he said. Reportedly Sidhu has held meeting with the BJP leaders in the Capital and have reached an understanding  

Sidhu joined the BJP in 2004 when LK Advani was at the helm of the party and contested the lok sabha elections Amritsar the same year. He won the election and held the seat till 2014 winning also the next elections of 2009.  

He was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 2016 from Punjab before he resigned from the position the same year and quitting the party. In 2017, he joined the Congress and was elected to the state legislative assembly from Amritsar East. He lost the election in 2022 from Amritsar East. Party sources say the announcement was planned for the past week however owing to the ongoing farmers protest on the borders of Shambu and Khanouri along Haryana the decision has been held back.