After being on a relative ascendency in his feud with Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, Navjot Singh Sidhu and his world has come crashing down. The Congress leader, after receiving a snub from the Gandhi family as the CM face is now searching for new avenues to resuscitate his political ambitions. In a related event, Sidhu on Tuesday (July 13) began serenading Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Twitter, and like an abandoned child claimed that AAP always recognised his vision and work.
“Our opposition AAP has always recognised my vision and work for Punjab. Be it Before 2017- Beadbi, Drugs, Farmers Issues, Corruption and Power Crisis faced by People of Punjab raised by me or today as I present “Punjab Model” It is clear they know – who is really fighting for Punjab,” tweeted Sidhu while sharing a video where AAP leader Sanjay Singh was applauding him.
Our opposition AAP has always recognised my vision & work for Punjab. Be it Before 2017- Beadbi, Drugs, Farmers Issues, Corruption & Power Crisis faced by People of Punjab raised by me or today as I present “Punjab Model” It is clear they know – who is really fighting for Punjab. https://t.co/6AmEYhSP67 pic.twitter.com/7udIIGkq1l
— Navjot Singh Sidhu (@sherryontopp) July 13, 2021
Earlier, the colourful AAP leader in Bhagwant Mann had taken a jibe at Sidhu by asking him to tweet about the “funds” allegedly accepted by the ruling Congress from private power companies in the state.
Mann had alleged that the Punjab government was not scrapping the power purchase agreements (PPAs) signed by the former SAD-BJP government as the ruling Congress had accepted “funds” from the three private companies that have set up thermal plants in the state.
After sharing the video, Sidhu signed off his passionate outburst by saying opposition cannot ‘dare’ question his Pro-People agenda.
“If the Opposition dares to question me, yet they can’t escape my Pro-People Agenda … This means they have resigned to their fate!!” tweeted Sidhu.
If Sidhu does end up joining AAP, he will be following the words prophesized by Amarinder Singh a few months ago. As reported by TFI, Amarinder had claimed that Siddhu had no place to go but to AAP.
“I don’t know where he will go or which party he will join. Akali Dal is upset with him and BJP won’t accept him… so most likely AAP. If he wants to contest against me from Patiala he will meet the same fate as General JJ Singh, who lost his security deposits,” CM Amarinder Singh had said in an interview.
It is imperative to note that Amarinder Singh contests from the Patiala constituency and BJP’s General (retd) JJ Singh, who contested the 2017 election against the CM finished with over 60,000 votes behind Amarinder Singh with just 11.1 per cent of the votes.
Reported extensively by TFI, Sidhu has been extremely vocal against the Punjab government’s functioning and especially Captain Amarinder Singh even when he was a cabinet-level minister — although he had to pay the price for it after he was ejected from the cabinet by the two time CM. Amarinder had divested Sidhu of the Local Government and Tourism and Cultural Affairs Departments and allotted him the power and new and renewable energy portfolio. However, Sidhu had refused to assume the charge and resigned.
Recently, Siddhu met the Gandhi family and speculations were abuzz that he might somehow edge out Amarinder. However, media reports later stated that despite the meeting, the top brass of Congress is expected to announce Amarinder as the CM face only.
Read More: The little revolution of Navjot Singh Sidhu has failed, now he and his men await punishment
AAP appears to be the right choice of a party for Sidhu as Arvind Kejriwal has a knack for picking such rogue elements, ride their popularity, announce some fancy freebie schemes and fool the public. The match appears to be made in heaven and it needs to be seen how quickly Sidhu jumps the ship, given the assembly elections are only eight months away.