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Navjot Sidhu not to contest next LS poll from Amritsar: Wife

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Press Trust of India Amritsar
Peeved over BJP sidelining him, three-time MP from Amritsar Navjot Singh Sidhu will not contest the next Lok Sabha polls from there, his wife Navjot

Kaur said today.

"My husband will not contest parliamentary elections from Amritsar and a decision in this context was taken long back as the BJP ignored and sidelined him and his local team, which have been working in the constituency for more than a decade now," Kaur, who is also Punjab Chief Parliamentary Secretary, told PTI.

The cricketer-turned-politician was, however, not available for comments on the issue.

Kaur had, earlier, stirred up a controversy within the BJP's state unit by commenting on the social networking site that her husband felt "sidelined and ignored" in the party.
 

Kaur, BJP MLA from Amritsar (East), said "Yesterday, I was with him (Sidhu) at Delhi and told him about what I had posted on my social networking site account which was open to general public.

"On hearing this, he said that he didn't like politics anymore as he was not getting due respect from his own party leaders. My husband told me that now he didn't want to indulge his mind in politics."

She further said, "What I have posted on Facebook was not from my mind but from the core of my heart and there is no politics or hypocrisy involved in it," she said.

Kaur's comments assume significance as they pose a question over Sidhu's continuation in politics.

"Can anybody tell me, how one can let a honest leader survive, one who does not believe in corruption, does not support criminals, does not become party to commission system, what good can he do to the party? So, finally you pair up to push him aside; make him feel suffocated in the system despite three election wins, just because of his honesty and down to earth attitude," she said.

"I and my husband have strong grudge against party leadership, which did not allow him to make his team for the coming Lok Sabha polls. Without team how elections could be contested and I fail to understand what the BJP did with us," Kaur added.

She slammed the BJP, saying "the party high command not permit Sidhu run the show in Amritsar because of his honesty."

She also said everybody knows that Sidhu left TV show 'Bigg Boss' to campaign for the party

in the Gujarat Assembly

polls.

Asked about her own future, she said that she would follow whatever Sidhu tells her to do.

"I am committed to my people of my constituency who voted for me. I would serve them day and night and my husband also suggested to remain loyal for the people who trusted me a lot," she said.

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First Published: Apr 11 2013 | 9:35 PM IST

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