With reference to Archis Mohan and Aditi Phadnis' report, "BJP's Sidhu quits Rajya Sabha, may join AAP" (July 19), the former cricketer-turned-commentator's move was planned and timed well, even if it came as a bolt from the blue for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) brass.
The simultaneous resignation of his wife, Navjot Kaur, a BJP legislator from the Amritsar (East) constituency, might have poured more salt on the BJP's political wounds. Party chief Amit Shah and company were likely taken aback by this development.
The report rightly observes that "Sidhu's resignation within weeks of his Rajya Sabha nomination is being seen as yet another self-goal by the BJP leadership after the Uttarakhand imbroglio, embarrassment in Arunachal Pradesh and appointment of Subramanian Swamy to the Upper House".
Second, Sidhu was ignored as the choice for minister of sports and youth affairs in the recent Cabinet reshuffle, that post going to his Rajya Sabha colleague Vijay Goel, considered close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Sidhu's strategic nomination to the Rajya Sabha on April 22 seemed to provide little meaningful political comfort to him, as he was probably still nursing a grouse against Jaitley.
If immediate reactions of the Aam Aadmi Party are any indication, the Sidhus are certain to join that party, with the former cricketer as its chief ministerial candidate before the Punjab Assembly polls due early next year.
It's intriguing to read between the lines of Sidhu's post-resignation comments: "With the closure of every window leading to Punjab, the purpose stands defeated… In the war of right or wrong, you can't afford to be neutral… Punjab's interest is paramount." I wonder why it took him more than two years to realise this.
The AAP has, of course, turned the tables on Modi by stage-managing this political show with an eye on the Assembly elections in the state. Perhaps, Sidhu can now expect some achhe din for himself.
Vinayak G, Bengaluru
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The simultaneous resignation of his wife, Navjot Kaur, a BJP legislator from the Amritsar (East) constituency, might have poured more salt on the BJP's political wounds. Party chief Amit Shah and company were likely taken aback by this development.
The report rightly observes that "Sidhu's resignation within weeks of his Rajya Sabha nomination is being seen as yet another self-goal by the BJP leadership after the Uttarakhand imbroglio, embarrassment in Arunachal Pradesh and appointment of Subramanian Swamy to the Upper House".
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The BJP brass has treated Sidhu unfairly on several occasions. First, by making Arun Jaitley its Lok Sabha candidate from Amritsar instead of Sidhu, even though he got re-elected from that seat not only in the 2007 by-election but also in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls. Jaitley lost the election to the Congress' Amarinder Singh.
Second, Sidhu was ignored as the choice for minister of sports and youth affairs in the recent Cabinet reshuffle, that post going to his Rajya Sabha colleague Vijay Goel, considered close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Sidhu's strategic nomination to the Rajya Sabha on April 22 seemed to provide little meaningful political comfort to him, as he was probably still nursing a grouse against Jaitley.
If immediate reactions of the Aam Aadmi Party are any indication, the Sidhus are certain to join that party, with the former cricketer as its chief ministerial candidate before the Punjab Assembly polls due early next year.
It's intriguing to read between the lines of Sidhu's post-resignation comments: "With the closure of every window leading to Punjab, the purpose stands defeated… In the war of right or wrong, you can't afford to be neutral… Punjab's interest is paramount." I wonder why it took him more than two years to realise this.
The AAP has, of course, turned the tables on Modi by stage-managing this political show with an eye on the Assembly elections in the state. Perhaps, Sidhu can now expect some achhe din for himself.
Vinayak G, Bengaluru
Letters can be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to:
The Editor, Business Standard
Nehru House, 4 Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg
New Delhi 110 002
Fax: (011) 23720201 · E-mail: letters@bsmail.in
All letters must have a postal address and telephone number