After a hiatus of just about 4 years, Sidhus has as soon as once more taken Punjab’s politics by storm.
Navjot Kaur Sidhu, former Amritsar East MLA and spouse of cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, stirred the pot final Saturday together with her remark, “It isn’t like you possibly can donate Rs 500 crore simply by sitting within the CM’s chair.” This irritated the Congress greater than the opposition, with the social gathering suspending her on Monday and her social gathering colleagues submitting a case towards her.
“We now have all the time been the voice of Punjab and Punjabiyat… Simply sitting on the CM chair doesn’t imply we will donate Rs 500 crore. No political social gathering is asking us for cash, however whoever provides a suitcase of Rs 500 crore will turn out to be the CM,” she mentioned after assembly Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria to debate “regulation and order” within the province.
Though Ms Kaur clarified on Tuesday that her feedback had been “distorted” and that she was merely taking situation with “corruption inside the Congress”, the following controversy has highlighted one facet of Sidhu’s public life: her tendency to run her personal social gathering quite than towing conventional political traces.
“I’m now cancer-free and proceed to bear immunotherapy. Nonetheless, I’ve returned to politics to serve the individuals,” Kaur mentioned in Patiala on Tuesday, including that she was not negotiating with “anybody”. Including additional intrigue to the difficulty, her husband arrived in Amritsar on Wednesday and held a gathering together with his supporters at his dwelling.
Regardless of being suspended by the Congress and AICC Rajasthan chief Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa sending a authorized discover to her the following day for allegedly “promoting tickets in Rajasthan”, Kaur continues to assault the social gathering management.
She accused state Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Waring and the Aam Aadmi Get together (AAP) of “defending him” within the latest SC/ST case registered over remarks made through the Tarun Taran Meeting ballot marketing campaign.
In response, Mr Walling mentioned parliamentary seats “can’t be purchased or offered”. “Regardless of what statements are being made, the excessive command is aware of the reality. Such statements are being scripted elsewhere to divert individuals’s consideration from the blatant abuse of regulation and police by the AAP authorities,” he mentioned.
Kaur stays “basically loyal” to the Congress and claims to have the assist of “over 90 per cent of the AICC and 70 per cent of the state meeting”, however her feedback drove a wedge between her and the social gathering at a time when the social gathering is attempting to get its act collectively within the state to problem the AAP, with social gathering spokesperson Neil Garg asking how a celebration just like the Congress, steeped in sectarianism, may shield the pursuits of the state.
Who’s Navjot Kaur Sidhu?
Kaul, a gynecologist by occupation, had an unconventional political line. Simply earlier than the 2012 meeting polls, she resigned from Rajindra Medical School and Hospital to affix the BJP and efficiently contested the election from Amritsar East.
Regardless of being a political novice, she was appointed as Principal Parliamentary Secretary for Well being and Household Welfare (CPS) by the Bharatiya Janata Get together-Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) authorities on the cupboard degree. Her tenure as CPS was marked by dramatic interventions, together with a sting operation she carried out towards authorities docs working in personal apply.
As an MLA, Kaur was a vocal opponent of the BJP and publicly focused the then state BJP chief Kamal Sharma. She additionally went on a starvation strike towards the federal government, accusing it of not funding her constituency.
She additionally warned the BJP that she would stop the social gathering if it continued its alliance with SAD for the 2017 meeting polls. She ultimately stop the Bharatiya Janata Get together and joined the Congress in 2016, just a few months after her husband.
The BJP used the difficulty to focus on the Congress, with former Congress MP and state unit chief Sunil Jakhar saying, “He all the time knew this however we’re listening to the accusations from the horse’s mouth.” “Congress has many standards to qualify to turn out to be CM… I failed within the prelims however Sidhu handed,” he mentioned.
BJP nationwide secretary Tarun Chu additionally focused the Congress. “Mr. Kaur has revealed a stunning fact. This has uncovered how the Congress underneath Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi is auctioning off the Structure and the democratic place. This can be a grave misfortune for democracy,” he mentioned.
Sidhu’s political profession
Kaur’s political journey is much like that of her husband. He joined the Bharatiya Janata Get together in 2004 and gained the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat twice (in 2004 and 2009), however stop the social gathering in 2014 after his candidature was rejected. Sidhu turned a Bharatiya Janata Get together MP in April 2016, however resigned from the Lok Sabha and the Bharatiya Janata Get together three months later.
“Siddhu achieved fame by cricket, commentary and TV reveals. He is an effective politician however he must convey everybody alongside within the organizational construction. Whereas within the BJP, he had sure points with SAD leaders quite than the BJP. Because the BJP and SAD had been in an alliance, these conflicts ultimately pressured him to depart the social gathering,” mentioned a senior BJP chief on situation of anonymity.
He joined the Congress simply earlier than the 2017 polls, gained Amritsar East and have become a minister within the Captain Amarinder Singh-led cupboard, holding portfolios comparable to tourism and native our bodies. As relations with Mr Amarinder soured, he was stripped of his portfolio and assumed the helm of the ability ministry in June 2019, however he rejected the duty and resigned from the cupboard a month later.
Sidhu was appointed as Punjab Congress chief minister in July 2021 regardless of ongoing friction with the Congress. A couple of weeks later, Charanjit Singh Channi changed Amarinder as CM, and Sidhu, who was believed to have been eyeing the publish, resigned as chief minister in September 2021. His resignation was not accepted, however following the social gathering’s crushing defeat within the 2022 meeting polls the place the social gathering gained simply 18 seats and 117 seats, Sidhu was relieved of his duties and changed by Waring.
Since then, Sidhu has distanced himself from politics and returned to cricket commentary and tv. “He stays away from all this, doesn’t intervene in something and is busy with commentary. We now have to earn cash to run the home,” Kaul mentioned.
