<p>Indian cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu joined the Congress after meeting party vice-president Rahul Gandhi Sunday, ahead of next month&#39;s regional elections in India&#39;s northern state of Punjab.</p>

<p>Sidhu, a big draw in the state, has joined the party nearly four months after he defected from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).</p>

<p>&ldquo;Beginning of a new inning (sic). On the front foot&hellip;&hellip;.. Punjab, Punjabiyat and&nbsp;every Punjabi must win !!!,&rdquo; Sidhu said in a tweet.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Beginning of a new inning. On the front foot........ Punjab, Punjabiyat &amp; every Punjabi must win !!! <a href="https://t.co/up0WzzoaxJ">pic.twitter.com/up0WzzoaxJ</a></p>
&mdash; Navjot Singh Sidhu (@sherryontopp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sherryontopp/status/820544099799285760">January 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Former chief minister and Congress chief ministerial candidate for Punjab, Captain Amarinder Singh, said Sidhu would be a legislator from Amritsar East.&nbsp;Amarinder Singh, also the Congress chief in Punjab, spoke to Sidhu over the phone to welcome him into the party. He said&nbsp;Sidhu&#39;s&nbsp;joining would further strengthen the Congress in Punjab and that Sidhu would be the star campaigner for the party in the state.</p>

<p>The two will&nbsp;kickstart their election campaign with a visit to Amritsar&#39;s Darbar Saheb in Golden Temple followed by a road show and a joint press conference in the city on January 19.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">He will be an MLA, Amritsar East seat has been given to him: Captain Amarinder Singh,Cong on Navjot Singh Sidhu <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PunjabPolls?src=hash">#PunjabPolls</a> <a href="https://t.co/YXSblMKZQI">pic.twitter.com/YXSblMKZQI</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/820576326503440384">January 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&quot;Indian National Congress (INC) welcomes S Navjot Singh Sidhu into Congress family. We thank our vice-president (Rahul Gandhi) for his visionary approach in bringing together like-minded people under the Congress umbrella,&quot; Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said in a statement.</p>

<p>&quot;We are certain that Congress party will be immensely strengthened in Punjab and elsewhere with the entry of Sidhu,&quot; the party posted on its official Twitter handle.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Reacting to the announcement, Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) remarked dryly that he was &quot;relieved&quot;. He also remarked that the former BJP legislator from Amritsar was joining a party that had attacked the city&#39;s Golden Temple, referring to the 1984 operation by the Indian Army against militants holed up in the iconic monument. The Congress party was in power at the time of the incident.&nbsp;<br />
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<p dir="ltr" lang="in">Chalo shukar hai, koi gal nahi: Punjab Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal on Navjot Singh Sidhu joining Congress <a href="https://t.co/NXLZIP6Yi5">pic.twitter.com/NXLZIP6Yi5</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/820535355648524289">January 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Ex-MP from city of Amritsar joining party,family that attacked Darbar Sahib in absence of Punjab leaders-Sukhbir Badal on Navjot Singh Sidhu</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/820534317369561088">January 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p><br />
Rumours that he would join the Congress have been going on ever since his wife Navjot Kaur joined the Congress from BJP last November.</p>

<p>Navjot Sidhu, 53, was initially expected to join Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party but talks collapsed when he reportedly demanded that he become the party&#39;s chief ministerial candidate in Punjab.</p>

<p>In September 2016, Navjot Sidhu announced his own political party named Awaz-e-Punjab (Voice of Punjab) along with suspended Akali leader Pargat Singh and the Bains brothers of Ludhiana.</p>

<p>Pargat Singh later joined the Congress with Sidhu&#39;s wife, while the Bains brothers joined AAP.</p>

<p>Sidhu was previously a BJP lawmaker from Amritsar between 2004 and 2014 after which he was evicted from the constituency to make way for Arun Jaitley. Sidhu was then given a Rajya Sabha nomination by the BJP.</p>

<p>Punjab goes to polls on February 4.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
(WION with inputs from agencies)</p>


Sidhu will contest from Amritsar East in the upcoming polls, confirmed the party's Punjab president Amarinder Singh

Indian cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu joined the Congress after meeting party vice-president Rahul Gandhi Sunday, ahead of next month's regional elections in India's northern state of Punjab. Sidhu, a big draw in the state, has joined the party nearly four months after he defected from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). “Beginning of a new inning (sic). On the front foot…….. Punjab, Punjabiyat and every Punjabi must win !!!,” Sidhu said in a tweet. Beginning of a new inning. On the front foot........ Punjab, Punjabiyat & every Punjabi must win !!! pic.twitter.com/up0WzzoaxJ — Navjot Singh Sidhu (@sherryontopp) January 15, 2017 × Former chief minister and Congress chief ministerial candidate for Punjab, Captain Amarinder Singh, said Sidhu would be a legislator from Amritsar East. Amarinder Singh, also the Congress chief in Punjab, spoke to Sidhu over the phone to welcome him into the party. He said Sidhu's joining would further strengthen the Congress in Punjab and that Sidhu would be the star campaigner for the party in the state. The two will kickstart their election campaign with a visit to Amritsar's Darbar Saheb in Golden Temple followed by a road show and a joint press conference in the city on January 19. He will be an MLA, Amritsar East seat has been given to him: Captain Amarinder Singh,Cong on Navjot Singh Sidhu #PunjabPolls pic.twitter.com/YXSblMKZQI — ANI (@ANI_news) January 15, 2017 × "Indian National Congress (INC) welcomes S Navjot Singh Sidhu into Congress family. We thank our vice-president (Rahul Gandhi) for his visionary approach in bringing together like-minded people under the Congress umbrella," Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said in a statement. "We are certain that Congress party will be immensely strengthened in Punjab and elsewhere with the entry of Sidhu," the party posted on its official Twitter handle. Reacting to the announcement, Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) remarked dryly that he was "relieved". He also remarked that the former BJP legislator from Amritsar was joining a party that had attacked the city's Golden Temple, referring to the 1984 operation by the Indian Army against militants holed up in the iconic monument. The Congress party was in power at the time of the incident. Chalo shukar hai, koi gal nahi: Punjab Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal on Navjot Singh Sidhu joining Congress pic.twitter.com/NXLZIP6Yi5 — ANI (@ANI_news) January 15, 2017 × Ex-MP from city of Amritsar joining party,family that attacked Darbar Sahib in absence of Punjab leaders-Sukhbir Badal on Navjot Singh Sidhu — ANI (@ANI_news) January 15, 2017 × Rumours that he would join the Congress have been going on ever since his wife Navjot Kaur joined the Congress from BJP last November. Navjot Sidhu, 53, was initially expected to join Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party but talks collapsed when he reportedly demanded that he become the party's chief ministerial candidate in Punjab. In September 2016, Navjot Sidhu announced his own political party named Awaz-e-Punjab (Voice of Punjab) along with suspended Akali leader Pargat Singh and the Bains brothers of Ludhiana. Pargat Singh later joined the Congress with Sidhu's wife, while the Bains brothers joined AAP. Sidhu was previously a BJP lawmaker from Amritsar between 2004 and 2014 after which he was evicted from the constituency to make way for Arun Jaitley. Sidhu was then given a Rajya Sabha nomination by the BJP. Punjab goes to polls on February 4. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Punjab elections: Indian cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Sidhu joins Congress

<p>Manish Sisodia, the deputy chief minister of Delhi finally let the cat out of the bag when he said, &quot;Vote for AAP thinking that you are voting for Arvind Kejriwal,&rdquo; a hint picked and immediately criticised by political parties in the fray in Punjab.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The deputy chief minister of Punjab, Sukhbir Badal, said, &quot;I ask Punjabis to evaluate the action of this anti-Punjab party and reject the attempts to foist outsiders in the state.</p>

<p>Even Yogendra Yadav pitched in. He said, &quot;Kejriwal should make a clear announcement. It is good for Delhi as they would realise who is not their chief minister (CM) and good for Punjab as they would know who is AAP&rsquo;s CM candidate.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>

<p>For a long time, the AAP has maintained the suspense on who the CM candidate for Punjab from the party would be. Even the BJP was quick to attack the AAP.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;He didn&rsquo;t work in Delhi and his politics has only been that of accusations,&quot; said BJP spokesperson Nalin Kohli.</p>

<p>Sources said that AAP&rsquo;S talks with Navjyot Singh Sidhu failed on this issue since he wanted to be the face of the AAP&rsquo;s campaign. &nbsp;With Kejriwal firmly pitched for Punjab, the dynamics of polls will change and the politics of insider and outsider might get added to the narrative.<br />
<br />
(WION)<br />
&nbsp;</p>


For a long time, the AAP has maintained the suspense on who the chief ministerial candidate for Punjab from the party would be

Manish Sisodia, the deputy chief minister of Delhi finally let the cat out of the bag when he said, "Vote for AAP thinking that you are voting for Arvind Kejriwal,” a hint picked and immediately criticised by political parties in the fray in Punjab. The deputy chief minister of Punjab, Sukhbir Badal, said, "I ask Punjabis to evaluate the action of this anti-Punjab party and reject the attempts to foist outsiders in the state. Even Yogendra Yadav pitched in. He said, "Kejriwal should make a clear announcement. It is good for Delhi as they would realise who is not their chief minister (CM) and good for Punjab as they would know who is AAP’s CM candidate.” For a long time, the AAP has maintained the suspense on who the CM candidate for Punjab from the party would be. Even the BJP was quick to attack the AAP. "He didn’t work in Delhi and his politics has only been that of accusations," said BJP spokesperson Nalin Kohli. Sources said that AAP’S talks with Navjyot Singh Sidhu failed on this issue since he wanted to be the face of the AAP’s campaign. With Kejriwal firmly pitched for Punjab, the dynamics of polls will change and the politics of insider and outsider might get added to the narrative. (WION)

Delhi deputy chief minister drops the hint: Kejriwal to move to Punjab?

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Punjab elections: Indian cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Sidhu joins Congress

Delhi deputy chief minister drops the hint: Kejriwal to move to Punjab?