Navjot Singh's Political Campaign: Party And Promises

Navjot Singh Sidhu is an Indian former cricketer, television personality, and politician. After his retirement from cricket in 1999, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2004 and was elected to the Lok Sabha from Amritsar, serving multiple terms. In 2017, he switched to the Indian National Congress (INC) and held key positions, including Minister of Local Government, Tourism, and Cultural Affairs in Punjab. Known for his crowd-pulling power and oratorical skills, Sidhu has faced challenges within his own party, battling the Punjab Congress leadership and struggling to campaign for fellow candidates due to a tough fight in his own constituency.

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Navjot Singh Sidhu's political career began in 2004 with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)

Navjot Singh Sidhu's political career began in 2004 when he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). That same year, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Amritsar on a BJP ticket. He served multiple terms, winning the next election in 2006 and holding the seat until 2014. During this time, he was also the BJP's star campaigner until 2013.

In 2014, however, Sidhu did not campaign for the BJP when they chose Arun Jaitley to contest from Amritsar in the parliamentary elections. This marked a turning point in his association with the BJP. In 2016, he was nominated to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab but resigned from this position and quit the BJP the same year.

In 2017, Sidhu joined the Indian National Congress (INC) and was elected to the Punjab Legislative Assembly from Amritsar East. He held key positions in the Punjab government, including Minister of Local Government, Tourism, and Cultural Affairs. He contributed to the Project Virasat, aimed at reviving a traditional handicraft recognised by UNESCO.

Sidhu's political journey has been dynamic, with him switching parties and holding various positions. He has faced controversies, criticisms, and internal party struggles but has also been known for his crowd-pulling power and oratorical skills.

In 2016, he resigned from the Rajya Sabha and joined the Indian National Congress in 2017

Navjot Singh Sidhu is an Indian former cricketer, television personality, and politician. He was born in Patiala, Punjab, India, on 20 October 1963. His father, Sardar Bhagwant Singh, was a cricket player, and Sidhu followed in his father's footsteps, making his debut in first-class cricket in 1981–82. He played for India for several years as a top-order batsman. After retiring from cricket, he transitioned into cricket commentary and joined politics in 2004.

In 2004, Sidhu joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and contested the general election from Amritsar, winning the election and holding the seat until 2014. He was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 2016 from Punjab but soon faced controversies. He took the oath as a member of the Rajya Sabha on 28 April 2016, and just a few months later, on 18 July 2016, he resigned from his position. Speculation arose about his potential move to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and he even formed a new political front called Aawaaz-e-Punjab with Pargat Singh and the Bains brothers. However, instead of joining the AAP, Sidhu made a significant shift by joining the Indian National Congress in 2017.

Sidhu's decision to leave the BJP and join the Congress before the 2017 assembly elections was a notable development in his political career. He contested from Amritsar East in the 2017 Punjab Assembly elections and secured a victory with a comfortable margin of 42,809 votes. Following his election win, he was sworn in as a minister in the cabinet and served as the Minister of Tourism and Local Bodies. During his tenure, he contributed to the Project Virasat, aiming to revive the traditional craft of making brass utensils, which is recognized by UNESCO as part of India's Intangible Cultural Heritage.

As a member of the Indian National Congress, Sidhu also held the position of President of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee. However, his political journey within the Congress party was not without challenges. In 2021, he resigned as Punjab Congress President, but his resignation was rejected by the party's high command. In the 2022 Punjab Legislative Assembly election, Sidhu contested from the Amritsar East seat again but lost to Aam Aadmi Party candidate Jeevan Jyot Kaur.

Sidhu was the Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs in the state government of Punjab

Navjot Singh Sidhu is an Indian former cricketer, television personality, and politician. He was the Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs in the state government of Punjab.

Sidhu's career began in cricket, making his first-class debut in 1981–82 and going on to play for India for several years as a top-order batsman. After his retirement, he became a cricket commentator and joined politics in 2004 as a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He was elected to the Lok Sabha from Amritsar in 2004, but later resigned due to a conviction in 2006. After successfully contesting the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat again, he went on to win the next two elections, holding the seat until 2014.

In 2016, Sidhu was nominated to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab but resigned from the position and the BJP the same year. The following year, he joined the Indian National Congress and was elected to the Punjab Legislative Assembly from Amritsar East. As Minister of Tourism and Local Bodies, he contributed to the Project Virasat, which aimed to revive the traditional craft of making brass utensils by the Thatheras of Jandiala Guru, a UNESCO-recognized Intangible Cultural Heritage practice.

However, Sidhu's political career has also been marked by controversies and disagreements. He fell out with then-Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and resigned from the cabinet. He later questioned several appointments and policy decisions made by Amarinder's successor, Charanjit Singh Channi. In 2018, he attended the oath-taking ceremony of the newly elected Pakistani Prime Minister, Imran Khan, and hugged Pakistani Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa, which sparked criticism from some Indian politicians.

Despite these controversies, Sidhu has remained active in Punjab politics, serving as the Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs and contributing to initiatives that preserve the cultural heritage of the state.

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He resigned as Punjab Congress President in 2021 but his resignation was rejected

Navjot Singh Sidhu, a former cricketer and politician from the Indian National Congress, resigned as Punjab Congress President in 2021. However, his resignation was rejected.

On September 28, 2021, Navjot Singh Sidhu resigned from his position as the president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee. He made the announcement on Twitter, posting a letter he had written to Congress President Sonia Gandhi. In the letter, Sidhu stated that he could not compromise on Punjab's future and agenda for its welfare and would, therefore, be resigning from his position as president. However, he also mentioned that he would continue to serve the Congress party.

The resignation came amid a series of dramatic developments in Punjab, including infighting between Sidhu and former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, who was replaced by Charanjit Singh Channi as Chief Minister on September 20, 2021. Sidhu's resignation was followed by that of Minister Razia Sultana, who quit in solidarity with him, and some other leaders who came out in his support.

Despite Sidhu's clear statement of resignation and the subsequent acceptance of Channi as the new Chief Minister, the high command of the Congress party rejected Sidhu's resignation. This rejection further deepened the Congress crisis in Punjab and caused embarrassment for the party's central leadership.

Navjot Singh Sidhu's political career has been marked by diverse experiences. He started as a cricketer, playing for India for several years, and then moved on to cricket commentary before joining politics in 2004 with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He later resigned from the BJP and joined the Indian National Congress in 2017, becoming a minister in the Punjab Legislative Assembly from Amritsar East.

Sidhu has been criticised for his relationship with Pakistan and its politicians

Navjot Singh Sidhu, a former cricketer and politician from the Indian National Congress, has faced criticism for his relationship with Pakistan and its politicians.

In August 2018, Sidhu attended the oath-taking ceremony of the newly elected Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, a former cricketer and Sidhu's self-proclaimed "good friend". During this visit, Sidhu hugged Qamar Javed Bajwa, the Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army, a move that sparked backlash from opposition politicians in India. Sidhu claimed that Bajwa had assured him of opening the Kartarpur corridor before the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, allowing visa-free entry for followers of Sikhism from India to Pakistan. This decision was later confirmed by Pakistan's Information and Broadcasting Minister, Fawad Chaudhry, leading to appreciation from Sidhu for his "friend" Imran Khan.

In November 2018, Sidhu faced further controversy when a photo surfaced of him with Khalistani separatist leader Gopal Singh Chawla, who was accused of having close ties with Hafiz Saeed. Sidhu denied knowledge of Chawla's identity, claiming that thousands of people met and took photos with him during his visit to Pakistan.

In February 2019, during an appearance on The Kapil Sharma Show, Sidhu condemned an attack on Indian soldiers in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, but sparked controversy by asking, "For a handful of people, can you blame the entire nation of Pakistan and can you blame an individual?"

In November 2021, Sidhu faced backlash from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for calling Imran Khan a "bada bhai" (elder brother) during a visit to the Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara. Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal called it "shocking" that Sidhu would refer to Khan as an "elder brother," given the Pakistani military's proxy war with India in Kashmir, which had led to the deaths of many Punjabi soldiers. Badal accused Sidhu of "cosying up to the ISI" and demanded that the Gandhi family explain Sidhu's actions. Despite the criticism, Punjab minister Pargat Singh defended Sidhu, calling the criticism "unfortunate" and accusing the BJP of playing "sordid political games."

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