It's my 'ghar wapsi', says Congress MP Navjot Singh Sidhu

NEW DELHI: In his first press conference since joining Congress, cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu addressed the press about his decision to join the party.

Speaking from the Congress headquarters, along with Ajay Maken and Asha Kumari, Sidhu said he was a 'born Congressman'.

"I have just come back to my roots, I was born to be part of Congress," the newly inducted Congress minister said.


Speaking about his mission in the party, Sidhu said, "this isn't my personal battle, but the fight for Punjab's well-being and it's existence, and I am only the medium."

On his alledged tiff with Congress MP and former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, Sidhu said, "if two countries can sort out their issues through conversation, and when Lalu-Nitish can come together, then why can't we do the same?"

Sidhu refrained from answering questions on his views on Narendra Modi as PM, instead saying, "they chose alliance, and I chose Punjab."

On not joining the AAP, he said, "they didn't want me to contest elections. How would I fight for the betterment of the state if I can't fight in the polls? I cannot be a showpiece for the party."

"Kejriwal himself tweeted that I had no demands, and he called me an icon."

Sidhu joined the Congress on January 15th, after meeting Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, after bypassing local leadership.

The party said it would be "immensely strengthened" in poll-bound Punjab with his

The former BJP Amritsar MP described his joining the Congress as "beginning of a new inning".

"Beginning of a new inning. On the front foot........ Punjab, Punjabiyat & every Punjabi must win !!! (sic)," he tweeted after joining Congress.

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

53-year-old Sidhu is likely to contest from Amritsar East Assembly seat.

Sidhu had resigned from Rajya Sabha and quit BJP following which his wife Navjot Kaur had joined Congress on November 28.

He faced a major setback in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls after the BJP replaced him with Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for the Amritsar seat. The latter lost to Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh.