If ever Navjot Singh Sidhu was patient or docile, it was during his cricketing days as an opener seeing off the pacers and waiting for the spinners, and not in his avatars as television commentator and politician, both characterised by plain-speaking and aggression. After he was denied the ticket from Amritsar by the BJP in the 2014 Lok Sabha election, he was merely biding his time to hit back at rivals within the party. He let it be known that he was unhappy at having to give up his seat to Arun Jaitley (who went on to become the Union Finance Minister despite losing the election), and stayed away from active party work, barely hiding his disaffection with the BJP’s national leadership. Although he was nominated to the Rajya Sabha three months ago, Mr. Sidhu was by no means mollified. Just days after he took oath as member, he said he had earlier refused a Rajya Sabha seat offered as compensation for vacating Amritsar for Mr. Jaitley, and that he was again open to staying away from the Rajya Sabha. With elections to the Punjab Assembly approaching, the cricketer-turned-politician had to quickly choose his moment to strike. When he announced his resignation from the Rajya Sabha last week, he made Punjab the focus, saying the BJP leadership was asking him to stay away from his home State. If there was any surprise, it was that he had held his peace thus far.
Just as significant as Mr. Sidhu’s decision to leave the BJP would be his choice of party. By most accounts, he is set to join the Aam Aadmi Party, which is fast dipping into the Congress support base to emerge as a serious alternative to the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP combine. Thus, early next year Punjab could witness a three-cornered fight, and Mr. Sidhu could very well be in the thick of it. But whether he will be made the face of the AAP in Punjab is still unclear. If the AAP does win Punjab, it is unlikely that the party mascot Arvind Kejriwal will let a newcomer, however much of a celebrity he is, have the prime post. But for their immediate purposes, the AAP and Mr. Sidhu would reinforce each other’s strengths. After two terms in power, the SAD-BJP coalition is fighting a strong anti-incumbency sentiment with the deepening agrarian crisis adding to the drug menace. Mr. Sidhu has certainly given another dimension in Punjab, and he can be of help to the AAP in shedding its image as a Kejriwal-centric party that is struggling to outgrow Delhi. Despite the initial promise shown by the AAP, Mr. Kejriwal has been averse to allowing a second rung of leadership to emerge. Mr. Sidhu might just be the antidote the AAP needs in Punjab, even if it be not entirely to the liking of Mr. Kejriwal.
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