Sidhu jolts BJP amidst talk of joining AAP

In a jolt to BJP in Punjab, Navjot Singh Sidhu today resigned from Rajya Sabha, only about three months after his nomination by the government, as speculation raged that he could join Aam Aadmi Party and be its face in the Assembly polls next year.
The resignation of 52-year-old Sidhu, who was nominated on April 22, has been accepted by Chairman Hamid Ansari with immediate effect, the House was informed today.
While he was not available for comments, there is talk of Sidhu joining the AAP ahead of the state elections and may be made the party's face in the state. Sidhu did not answer calls made to him.

Top AAP leaders Sanjay Singh and Lok Sabha member Bhagwant Singh Mann welcomed Sidhu's decision to resign from Rajya Sabha but parried questions whether he would join the party and become its CM face.
In a brief statement on his resignation, Sidhu did not reveal much about his future plans but there were indications that he was miffed with the state of affairs in his party. Today Sardar Navjoyot sidhu has resigned from RS.
"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 the 52-year-old former cricketer-turned politician, who had represented Amritsar in the Lok Sabha between 2004 and 2014.
Sources said that Sidhu has been miffed with the party ever since he made way way for Arun Jaitley in Amritsar Lok Sabha constituency in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
His wife, Navjot Kaur, who is Chief Parliamentary Secretary in Punjab where BJP shares power with Akali Dal, had created a flutter on April 1 (April Fool's day) announcing her resignation from the BJP.

"The burden is over," she had written on her Facebook post on April 1, but after a meeting with top BJP leaders in Delhi, she said, "All is well" and she is very much a part of BJP in Punjab.
With speculation rife over the issue, the AAP said in
Chandigarh that it would welcome Sidhu with open arms if he joins the party.
"If he joins our party, we will welcome him with open arms," the AAP's Sangrur MP, Bhagwant Mann who is also party's campaign committee chairman, said.
When asked if Sidhu has approached AAP or vice versa, Mann said that is not the case so far. "He has not got in touch with us nor have we got into touch with him," he said.

Asked if Sidhu could be made AAP's Chief Ministerial candidate in case he decides to take the plunge, Mann said, "Whoever joins AAP, he is clearly told that it has to be unconditional.
"Even when I had joined 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," he said.
"But as party's campaign committee chairman, I want to say that our doors are open. Sidhu is a good orator with a clean image, who has also remained a star campaigner of his party. May be now, he finds that he does not enjoy that much freedom to express himself (in BJP)," Mann said.

Mann said AAP has promised to give a viable political alternative to the people of Punjab in the 2017 Assembly elections. If people like Sidhu join the AAP it will be good for the party, he said.
He also said, "From time to time, Sidhu's (MLA) wife (Navjot Kaur) has been raising questions on policies and programmes of the SAD-BJP Government including on the drug issue..."
AAP's senior leader and party's Punjab affairs in-charge, Sanjay Singh tweeted, "Navjot Singh Sidhu has taken a brave step by resigning from membership of Rajya Sabha and I welcome his decision."
To questions on whether Sidhu would be admitted to AAP and be made its CM face, Singh said by his action Sidhu has proved that he is on the side of righteousness and has taken the step in national interest.

"Appropriate decisions" would be taken at the appropriate time," he said to other queries.
Sidhu's wife is a BJP MLA from Amritsar-East constituency in Punjab and is known to take on her own government in the State on various issues.
Navjot Sidhu had in the past attacked Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal saying, "Badal Sahib, you promised moon to the people of Amritsar... Don't deny them basic needs. Don't abuse the word daughter and sister. I am ready to vacate my seat for your relatives."
Sidhu was convicted in a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder in Patiala and is out on bail.