Sidhu has no pre-condition on joining AAP: Kejriwal

Clearing the air on the raging controversy if Sidhu would be joining his party or not, the Aam Adami Party (AAP) convenor through a series of tweets stated that the cricketer-tuned-politician needed time to think.

“Would Navjot Sidhu ji join AAP – lot of rumours? Its my duty to put forward our side. We have greatest regard for this cricket legend. He met me last week. Didn’t put any pre-condition. He needs time to think. Lets respect that,” Kejriwal tweeted. He further tweeted, “ He met me last week. Didn’t put any pre-condition. He needs time to think. Lets’ respect that”. 

Kejriwal said that cricketer- turned politician Navjot Singh Sidhu has “not put any pre-condition” on joining the AAP and needed time to think. 

Sidhu, who publicly vent out his displeasure against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – of which he was a member for 12 years last month, has been in talks with the AAP ahead of the Punjab elections next year. 

However, clearing the air for the first time Kejriwal said it is his ‘duty’ to clarify his position on the former cricketer. 

The Chief Minister’s posts follow reports about AAP’s talks with the cricketer-turned-politician having collapsed as the latter wants to be projected as the party’s Chief Ministerial candidate in the upcoming Punjab polls and is also negotiating a prominent role for his wife Navjot Kaur, currently a BJP lawmaker in the state. 

The AAP had, at that time, clarified that his joining the party will not be on any terms or conditions. Also, the party’s constitution does not permit giving tickets to two members of a family. “He is a very good human being and a cricket legend. My respect for him wuould continue whether he joins or not,” Kejriwal lastly tweeted, which indicates that whatever decision Sidhu took, the party would respect that. 

The 52-year-old cricketer-turned-politician got elected to the Lok Sabha from Amritsar in 2004. In 2006, he had to resign as an MP, after he was convicted for homicide in 1988 road rage incident. His punishment was suspended by the Supreme Court and Sidhu retained the seat in the by-election and represented Amritsar till 2014.

Sidhu’s displeasure from the BJP started doing the rounds after the party leadership decided to field senior leader Arun Jaitley from Amritsar in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. Sidhu negotiated with the party for Punjabi and Sikh-dominated West Delhi Lok Sabha seat, but Parvesh Verma, son of former Delhi Chief Minister and Delhi BJP’s Jat icon Sahib Singh Verma, was fielded. 

According to sources in the BJP, the party’s decision not to field Sidhu was taken as his wife was MLA in Punjab, a violation of one ticket in one family norm. 

New Delhi: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will leave for Goa on Saturday, on his third visit in last four months, to bolster Aaam Admi Party’s prospect in the state going to polls next year. The AAP sources said Kejriwal is expected to return to the national capital on Monday.