Sidhu is Still in BJP : Vijay Sampla

Though Sidhu spoke a lot about quitting Rajya Sabha, he did not mention about joining AAP or wished to be Punjab CM candidate.

And on Monday, despite his angry press conference with lots of Sidhuisms and third-person references, Sidhu did not say anything about leaving the BJP.

“For me no party is bigger than Punjab”, the cricketer-turned-politician said. “How can Navjot Singh Sidhu leave the soil he belongs to?” he added. “I can not betray their trust”.

“I was asked to fight the elections from Kurukshetra, then West Delhi”. How can I leave Punjab for some selfish gains?

“I quit from the Rajya Sabha because I was told not to work in Punjab and to stay away from the state”, Sidhu said. I said no, I won’t betray my people.

Though Sidhu has remained tightlipped, his wife Navjot Kaur had said there is no question of his going back on his decision. “They should tell me my fault”, he said.

“After winning four elections, if I am told that stay away from Punjab”.

The 52-year old Amristar MP further said this was not for the first time that he has been asked to stay away from his native state. Sampla put a formula before the BJP leadership to accommodate Sidhu, which would ensure he stays within the fold.

Sidhu, who was not allowed by the Bharatiya Janata Party to contest from Amritsar in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, did not take the name of any political party or leader in his almost 10-minute media address that was punctuated by Urdu couplets.

“When storms were blowing, then Navjot Singh Sidhu was sent… Now when there was a wave in support of Modi sahab, I was drowned along with rivals”, he lamented. In the event, Jaitley lost to Congress’s Capt Amarinder Singh, a former Punjab chief minister.

He also said he also worked for the victory for his wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu from a hard seat. Meanwhile, suspended BJP leader Kirti Azad’s wife Poonam joined Sidhu in criticising the party for meting out “injustice” to her and her husband in the same way as it did to Sidhu.

In Punjab, the AAP has emerged as a strong force and Sidhu’s departure from the party is seen as a major setback for the ruling Akali-BJP combine ahead of assembly election next year.