Sidhu to join Congress, contest from Amritsar East

Navjot Singh Sidhu is a former Indian cricketer, born in a Jat Sikh family in Patiala, Punjab.

After retiring as a batsman, he moved over to television commentary, TV shows and politics.

He is the present President of the World Jat Aryan Foundation.

His wife, Navjot Kaur Sidhu, who is a doctor, is also a member of the Punjab Legislative Assembly.

In the Indian General Elections, 2004, Navjot Sidhu won a BJP ticket from Amritsar. He won the Lok Sabha seat in 2007 with great majority.

In General Elections 2009, he won the seat again, with a huge margin.

In General Elections 2014, Sidhu was asked to step out of the Amritsar constituency seat as the BJP wanted to replace him with Arun Jaitley.

Navjot Singh Sidhu on 28th April, 2016, took an oath as a member of the Rajya Sabha.

Reports stated that AAP could present Sidhu as its Chief Ministerial candidate in the upcoming Punjab Assembly Elections.

According to sources, the Rajya Sabha nomination was handed over to Sidhu in order to prevent him from joining the Aam Aadmi Party.

Former Indian cricketer and BJP leader Navjot Singh Sidhu on 18th July, 2016, quit as a Member of Parliament from the Rajya Sabha.

Rajya Sabha Chairman, Hamid Ansari, accepted Sidhu's resignation with immediate effect.

Amidst already existing abundant speculation, Bhagwant Mann, AAP's party campaign committee chairman, speaking of Sidhu, said "If he joins our party, we will welcome him with open arms."

Former BJP Rajya Sabha member Navjot Singh Sidhu is said to be in talks with the Congress over joining the party as a member for the upcoming Punjab elections.

Sources said that he is to hold talks with party vice president Rahul Gandhi over the issue.

The talks come amidst AAP's changing stance over Sidhu's proposition to join the party.

Cricketer turned politician Navjot Singh Sidhu formally launched his party, 'Awaaz-e-Punjab' in Chandigarh today.

Sidhu stated that at this juncture, the party, consisting of Pragat Singh, Balwinder Singh Bains and Simarjeet Singh Bains, "is not a party, it's a forum," that seeks the "resurrection and revival" of Punjab.

He also used the opportunity to attack the AAP and BJP for their "dirty politics".

Office-bearer in BJP's West Bengal unit, Roopa Ganguly was nominated to the Rajya Sabha this Tuesday.

President Pranab Mukherjee nominated her to the seat left empty by former cricketer-turned-politician, Navjot Singh Sidhu.

After acting in Hindi and Bollywood movies and directing films, Roopa Ganguly joined the BJP in 2015.

Navjot Sidhu was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in April 2016; he has resigned recently.

Sources have stated that the AAP and Congress have sent emissaries to woo cricketer turned politician Navjot Singh Sidhu and his party, the Awaaz-e-Punjab in the run up to the Punjab Assembly polls.

Congress leader Priyanka Vadra got in touch with Sidhu through Ghulam Nabi Azad, while AAP sent Durgesh Pathak to woo Sidhu.

The AAP said "the meeting went off positively."

Amarinder Singh said Navjot Singh will be the star Congress campaigner for the upcoming polls.

He also said that either Sidhu himself or his wife Navjot Kaur could be the candidate from the Amritsar (East) seat.

The final list of Congress candidates will be out by January 9. He also denied the allegation that Congress was late in releasing the list of candidates.

Punjab Congress president Captain Amarinder Singh said Navjot Singh Sidhu would join the Congress "unconditionally, with no strings attached,"; he said Sidhu would contest from the Amritsar East seat.

The delay in Sidhu's joining was attributed to his professional commitments which he wanted to wrap-up before joining.

Capt Amarinder added that the decision on having a deputy CM would be taken by Sonia Gandhi.