In a major political development just before the Punjab elections, Bharatiya Janata Party’s Rajya Sabha member Navjot Singh Sidhu and his wife, Navjot Kaur Sidhu, on Monday joined the Aam Aadmi Party.
Sidhu, who was nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the Narendra Modi government, tendered his resignation from the House of Elders.
The resignation letter has been addressed to Ansari, who is chairman of the Rajya Sabha. Ansari has accepted the resignation.
The resignation came as a big surprise to the Bharatiya Janata Party that shares power with the Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab. The state goes to polls early next year.
His wife, who is a BJP MLA in the Punjab Assembly, too has quit to join the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP.
“Navjot Singh Sidhu, nominated member, resigns from Rajya Sabha,” Gurdeep Singh Sappal, OSD to the Vice President Hamid Ansari said in a tweet.
I can’t be neutral, Punjab’s interest paramount, says Sidhu
Sidhu, who put his papers as a Rajya Sabha MP on Monday, reacted to reports that he was headed to the Aam Admi Party.
Refusing to corroborate or rebuff reports, he said that Punjab’s interest was paramount.
“In the war of right and wrong, you can’t be neutral,” he said, adding, “Every window leading to Punjab is closing. I am now a mere burden and I prefer not to carry it.”
He further said that because he became MP to serve people, he couldn’t be sitting on the fence.
Aam Aadmi Party sources have said that he could be the chief ministerial candidate for AAP in 2017’s Punjab Assembly elections.
Aam Aadmi Party Punjab Convenor Sucha Singh, tweeted, “Appreciate Navjot Sidhu & Navjot Kaur Sidhu’s move, looking forward for their Welcome to AAP.”
Although a formal announcement about the Sidhus joining AAP has yet to be made, news agencies said that Sidhu is likely to meet AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal later today.
After a rather bitter relationship with the BJP, especially its Punjab unit, for the last 2-3 years, the veteran cricketer and 3-time MP from Amritsar, it appeared that a rapprochement of sorts had been arrived at with the Narendra Modi-led government nominating him to the Rajya Sabha.
However, it appears that things did not work out as expected for the BJP. Sidhu’s exit will be a major blow to the party in Punjab and will invigorate AAP in the state as it goes to polls early next year.
The cricketer-turned-politician has had a hostile relationship with the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal, which resulted in Sidhu not being nominated to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab.
AAP welcomes move
Reacting to the development, AAP leader Sanjay Singh told TV channels: “We welcome the resignation of Sidhu from Rajya Sabha. For other queries you have, it’s all premature.”
Sanjay Singh also said the resignation of the cricketer-turned-politician from the Upper House is seen as a “protest” against the ongoing Akali-BJP dispensation in Punjab.
“All right minded people should join this dharam yudh (righteous battle) against corruption,” the AAP leader said.
No comments:
Post a Comment