Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu inclines to contest Amritsar (East) seat in upcoming 2022 Assembly polls

GS PAUL
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, October 18

Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu, wife of PPCC president Navjot Singh Sidhu, has shown her inclination to contest the forthcoming 2022 Assembly elections from Amritsar East constituency.

Toeing the line of Charanjit Singh Channi-led state government of waiving off old electricity bills for poor consumers with under 2-KW consumption, she held a special camp in East constituency, represented by Sidhu.

Incidentally, Dr Sidhu was also MLA from the East constituency in 2012, but on BJP ticket.  

When Sidhu switched over to the Congress, he started off his innings from the same constituency.

“All the development works worth Rs 100 crore were executed in East constituency during my tenure as MLA. I have full faith and understanding with the natives and councillors of this constituency. In 2017 too, my name was recommended for Amritsar East and Sidhu was asked to choose any other seat, but he didn’t let me contest then from here. Now, if given a chance, I would definitely contest from here again,” she said.

She was all praise for Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and Transport Minister Amarinder Singh Raja Warring’s working style.

Taking a dig at Capt Amrinder Singh, she said that the promises remained unfulfilled and the Congress here had the ‘CM’ of ‘Akalis’ and all the ‘loot’ prospered during his tenure.

“That’s why he (Capt Amarinder) was shunted out. My husband had a wider vision to make this state more prosperous and corruption free, but he always let him down. Now, the Congress government has come back to power in a real sense. Charanjit Singh Channi had shown the way that could lead us to attain success in achieving the goals. The points raised by Sidhu were widely discussed and modalities were being made to implement them,” she said.

She claimed that NRIs were ready to invest in Punjab subject to the condition that there was corruption free set up.

She said the power pacts made by the erstwhile Akali government were also being made defunct after considering its legal aspects.

“There was a lobby of officers which worked for both sides-Congress as well as Akalis. Now, a new set of officers have taken over to achieve the goals,” she said.  

She named several Akali leaders for prospering drug and gold smuggling from across the border.

She supported the Centre’s decision of enhancing the BSF’s jurisdiction from 5 kms to 50 kms from the India-Pakistan border.

“If it was for safeguarding the national security and curbing smuggling of drugs, arms and other forbidden material, it was the right decision to implement and enhance BSF’s control in the state,” she said.

Dr Sidhu reiterated that the cultivation of opium would be beneficial.

“There are 25 varieties of opium which is non-addictive and used to produce medicines. The countries like Canada, US were ready to import opium cultivated in India which could garner multiple times profit,” she said.

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