Navjot Singh Sidhu quits Rajya Sabha, likely to join Arvind Kejriwal

New Delhi: Ahead of the crucial Assembly elections in Punjab, cricketer-turned-politician and one of the BJP’s star campaigners, Navjot Singh Sidhu, resigned from the Rajya Sabha amid speculation that he could be the Aam Aadmi Party’s face in the poll-bound state.

Mr Sidhu’s resignation took even the BJP by surprise as it came days after he had declared Narendra Modi as his hero when he was nominated by the BJP to the Upper House of Parliament. Both Mr Sidhu and his MLA wife, Navjot Kaur, do not share a good rapport with BJP’s ally SAD. Speculation is rife that Mr Sidhu would soon meet AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal.

Kejriwal salutes Sidhu for his courage to quit RS seat
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal hailed Sidhu's resignation from the Upper House, saying it requires courage to give up a Rajya Sabha membership to “save” his state.

After Mr Sidhu’s resignation, the Delhi chief minister tweeted: “I salute Sidhuji for his courage.” Senior AAP leaders Sanjay Singh and Lok Sabha member Bhagwant Singh Mann also welcomed Mr Sidhu’s decision to resign from Rajya Sabha but parried questions whether he would join the party and become its CM face.

Aam Aadmi Party welcomed the BJP leader’s decision and opened its doors to the cricketer-turned-politician to join its ranks, signalling an imminent churning ahead of next year's Punjab Assembly polls. Within minutes of Sidhu's resignation, AAP’s Punjab convenor Sucha Singh Chhotepur and AAP state in-charge Sanjay Singh hailed Sidhu’s “courageous” decision and said the party was “looking forward” to welcome him. AAP spokesperson Deepak Bajpai said Sidhu would be making an “announcement” soon.