NavjotSidhu offered Deputy CM post by AAP in Punjab
NEW DELHI : Raising the political temperature in poll-bound Punjab, sources on Thursday claimed that Arvind Kejriwal’s party AAP has agreed to offer the post of deputy Chief Minister to Navjot Singh Sidhu in case the latter decides to join hands with Delhi’s ruling party.
This comes at a time when the Congress, too, is trying hard to woo the cricketer-turned-politician. If sources are to be believed, Kejriwal’s party has also promised to give five seats to Sidhu’s newly formed ‘Awaaz-e-Punjab’.
The Arvind Kejriwal camp is hopeful that Navjot Singh Sidhu will finally join the Aam Aadmi Party and that “the party will most likely win at least 96 out of 117 seats in the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections”.
ABP quoted Kejriwal as saying that AAP is in regular touch with the former BJP leader who had earlier hit out at Delhi CM during the launch of his political front, saying the AAP chief had asked him to campaign for the party and in lieu of which his wife would be made a minister.
“When I met Kejriwal I asked him to define my role in the party. Kejriwal wants only yes men. Arrogance in the democracy is not acceptable. He also wanted me to be a decoration piece,” Sidhu had said in his news conference. Kejriwal is “anarchy in garb of democracy”, he had added.
Sidhu, who resigned from his Rajya Sabha seat and the BJP, formed a non-political party ‘Awaaz-e-Punjab’ but is yet to join with any other party.Earlier, he was speculated to join the AAP that did not materialise.
In Punjab, Legislative Assembly elections are expected to be held in 2017, before the end of the current tenure of the ruling coalition of Shiromani Akali Dal – Bharatiya Janata Party alliance led by Parkash Singh Badal. In total, there are 117 seats in the Vidhan Sabha and 59 seats are needed for the majority.
