Sidhu refuses to contest from Bathinda; to contest only from where ‘we can do justice’

Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, April 20

Punjab minister and Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu on Saturday ruled out contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha polls from Bathinda saying he or his wife could contest only from a seat where they can do justice.

“We can only contest from a segment where we can do justice. My wife had applied for a ticket from Chandigarh, which the party denied her. We have no regrets. But we could have fought from Chandigarh or Amritsar, which is our home. If someone tells us to go and fight from Bathinda that we can’t do because we can’t do justice to that seat,” Sidhu told The Tribune today.

Asked if he or his wife were still open to fighting from Punjab, Sidhu said: “Chandigarh has already been given to Pawan Bansal and Amritsar to a sitting MP.”

“We will do what the party says but we can fight only from a segment to which we can do justice,” he reiterated.

Sidhu also said: “No politics should be played on the ongoing Kartarpur corridor talks that would give 12 crore people an opportunity to visit the Kartarpur Gurdwara in Pakistan.”

“Why should anyone play politics in this matter,” Sidhu said to a Tribune query on what he thought of the stalemate in talks due to the presence of pro-Khalistan elements on the Pakistan side concerned with the corridor.

“It takes two to clap. Fifty per cent work on Pakistan side is complete and we have also acquired land. This is a matter of faith of 12 crore people. Why should anyone play politics here,” said Sidhu indicating that both sides should advance the talks notwithstanding current concerns.

Bathinda is the current LS segment of union minister Harsimrat Badal, but the Akali Dal is yet to announce their candidate from here this time. Congress leaders are keeping their fingers crossed and feel Prakash Singh Badal may also be fielded from Bathinda by Akali Dal for 2019 polls. Congress wanted a stalwart to contest Bathinda, but Sidhu has declined.