I am a born Congressman; this is homecoming: Sidhu

Aditi Tandon
Tribune News service
New Delhi, January 16

Former BJP leader Navjot Singh Sidhu formally joined the Congress on Monday, describing his entry as “ghar wapasi” and terming his parent party, the BJP, as “Kaikai mata”.

Sidhu will contest the Assembly election from Amritsar East.

Flanked by Congress Punjab in-charge Asha Kumari, party senior spokesperson Ajay Makan and Congress candidate from Jalalabad Ravneet Singh Bittu, Sidhu used his trademark style to justify his delayed decision to join the Congress and to cover up his earlier tirade against Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh.

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Asked if he would be willing to work under Singh, having earlier proposed his banishment from the Congress as a condition to join the party, Sidhu said he would work under anybody to redeem Punjab, which had lost its glory under the Badals.

Sidhu evaded the question of whether he could be the party’s CM candidate saying it was premature to raise these issues. “Agar chachi ko muchhen hoti toh mai use chacha kehta,” Sidhu evaded the query by saying this.

Throughout the press conference at the AICC headquarters here, Sidhu repeatedly said that his battle in Punjab wasn’t personal. “It’s a question of redeeming the dignity of Punjab which has been left with a begging bowl. I will expose the Badals,” he said.

#WATCH: Na kamaani na pahiya, gaadi jote mera Sukhbir(Badal) bhaiya, says Navjot Singh Sidhu pic.twitter.com/F4Ob6DTYLA

— ANI (@ANI_news) January 16, 2017

He justified his delayed decision of joining the party saying everything took time.

On the allegations of political opportunism considering that at one time he was also in touch with the AAP, Sidhu said, “Even Arvind Kejriwal had said that I was ready to join him unconditionally. I never asked for anything. First, he (Kejriwal) said Sidhu could not contest the election. Then he was ready to offer me the Deputy CM’s post. Tell me, how will Sidhu fight for Punjab without contesting from there? Had I wanted positions I would not have left the ruling party.”

Sidhu said, “Woh kehte hain ki Sidhu party ko maa kehta tha. Haan, par maa to Kaikai bhi thi jisne Ram ko banvas bhej diya; Kaushalya mata ne wapas bula liya.”

Sidhu cited his father’s long association with the Congress while saying that he was a born Congressman and had returned to his roots.

Cong replaces four candidates

The Congress officially released list of 10 candidates for the Punjab Assembly elections, naming six, including Sidhu, and replacing four.

Constituency: candidate

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Lambi: Capt Amarinder Singh

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Amritsar East: Navjot Singh Sidhu

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Jalandhar Cantt: Pargat Singh

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Jalalabad: Ravneet Bittu

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Phillaur (SC): Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary

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Bholath: Ranjit Singh (in place of Gurwinder Singh Atwal)

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Nakodar: Jagbir Singh Brar

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Jalandhar North: Avtar Singh Sanghera (Jr) (in place of Rajkumar Gupta)

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Jagraon (SC): Malkiat Singh Dhaka (in place of Geja Ram)

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Sanour: Harinder Singh Mann

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