Sidhu quits as BJP Rajya Sabha MP, joins AAP

Sidhu quits as BJP Rajya Sabha MP, joins AAP

Navjot Singh Sidhu bjp leader just before the Punjab elections, is set to switch to AAP(Aam Aadmi Party) in time to play a big role in the Punjab election next year. Sidhu and his wife, Navjot Kaur Sidhu,  joined the AAP on Monday.

Narendra Modi government, nominated Sidhu to the Rajya Sabha, submited his resignation from Rajya Sabha. The resignation letter has been addressed to Mohammad Hamid Ansari the chairman of the Rajya Sabha. who accepted the resignation.

The resignation came as a big surprise to the BJP that shares power with the Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab. The state goes to polls in 2017. Gurdeep Singh Sappal, OSD to the Vice President Hamid Ansari tweeted “ Sidhu, nominated member, resigns from Rajya Sabha,”

sidhu said I can’t be neutral, Punjab’s interest paramount,Refusing to corroborate or rebuff reports, he said that Punjab’s interest was paramount.“In the war of right and wrong, you can’t be neutral,” he said, adding, “Every window leading to Punjab is closing. I am now a mere burden and I prefer not to carry it.”He further said that because he became MP to serve people, he couldn’t be sitting on the fence.

AAP sources have said that he could be the chief ministerial candidate for AAP in 2017’s Punjab Assembly elections. AAP Punjab Convenor Sucha Singh, tweeted, “Appreciate Sidhu & Navjot Kaur Sidhu’s move, looking forward for their Welcome to AAP.” Although a formal announcement about the Sidhus joining AAP has yet to be made, news agencies said that Sidhu is likely to meet AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal later today. After a rather bitter relationship with the BJP, especially its Punjab unit, for the last 2-3 years, the veteran cricketer and 3-time MP from Amritsar, it appeared that a rapprochement of sorts had been arrived at with the Narendra Modi-led government nominating him to the Rajya Sabha.

However, it appears that things did not work out as expected for the BJP. Sidhu’s exit will be a major blow to the party in Punjab and will invigorate AAP in the state as it goes to polls in 2017. The cricketer-turned-politician has had a hostile relationship with the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal, which resulted in Sidhu not being nominated to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab.