Sidhu goes incommunicado, speculation over his next move

Chandigarh: A day after he was divested of key portfolios in a cabinet rejig, Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu went incommunicado, fuelling speculation on whether he will take charge of his new assignment.

The cricketer-turned-politician and his wife Navjot Kaur stayed away from the media on Friday. An aide refused to divulge any details about the minister amid speculation over Sidhu's next move.

Amid a tussle with Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, Sidhu was stripped of his local government, tourism and cultural affairs portfolios in the Punjab cabinet reshuffle Thursday. He was given the Power and New and Renewable Energy Sources Department.

The reshuffle, in which portfolios of most ministers were changed, took place hours after Sidhu skipped a cabinet meeting. Instead, he chose to address the media at his official residence on Thursday.

Sidhu had said his department was "singled out publicly" for the Lok Sabha loss, asserting that he could not be taken for granted as he had been a "performer throughout".

He refuted allegations that the party performed poorly in Punjab's urban areas.