Navjot Singh Sidhu quits BJP, to join AAP with wife ahead of Punjab Elections

New Delhi: BJP leader Navjot Singh Sidhu quit as a Member of Parliament on Monday. He is set to switch to Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in time to play a big role in the Punjab elections next year. He was recently appointed as Rajya Sabha MP. This is a big surprise to the BJP, which shares power with the Akali Dal in Punjab.

“The people of Punjab are looking for a change,” was Mr Sidhu’s telling comment to NDTV just before he resigned from the Rajya Sabha.

Sidhu had been upset when he was asked to make way for Arun Jaitley to contest from Amritsar during the 2014 national election. He had been denied the chance to contest from the constituency he had represented for 10 years. Mr Jaitley lost the election.

Mr Sidhu’s wife Navjot Kaur, is a lawmaker in Punjab and a parliamentary secretary in the state’s Akali Dal-BJP government. She is also set to resign, say sources.

About Navjot Singh Sidhu

Navjot Singh Sidhu (born 20 October 1963) is a former Indian cricketer and Member of Parliament from Amritsar (Lok Sabha constituency) between 2004 and 2014. After retirement from cricket Navjot Singh Sidhu took up television commentary, TV shows, and politics.