He came, spoke and went, leaving the story more muddled up than before. In fact, the moment TV screens flashed Navjot Sidhu appearing alone to face the media in his much awaited news conference at Delhi, it was amply clear that it was not the day he would announce joining a new party. The political announcements of such interest and significance are made with much more fanfare and in the presence of the top brass of the ‘beneficiary’ political party.
So the Sidhuism in the national capital was expectedly confined to explaining the reasons behind his resignation from Rajya Sabha. In his inimitable poetic style, Sidhu wrapped up his ire against BJP in just 10 minutes. Imagine how much time he might have taken in deciding to quit the party he was inducted in by the moderate face of Sangh Parivar and former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
However, much to the disappointment of all, he left the core question hanging in air. He resisted persistent media queries about naming the next political party of his choice. And doing so he came across as a shrewd, seasoned politician. He may have been guided by the idea of first watching the reaction from the BJP he owes his political growth before making the next move. This party in Punjab, his home state, is represented by his wife as Chief Parliamentary Secretary (CPS) who is also unhappy with the parent party. Interesting!
Though answer to this question is Sidhu’s prerogative as this writer had opined a few days back in babushahi.com, but in a way, painful as he tried it to sound, he at least made it clear as to what could be the next logical step for his legislator wife in the context of Punjab politics. She is also going to quit BJP!. This should not sound like a wild speculation given the outpouring of dislike for the national BJP leadership exhibited by Sidhu.
After all Punjab is where his heart is. Sidhu once again made it crystal clear in full media glare that whatever his political strategy, the battlefield will be Punjab. But how would it be possible if Sidhu is not joining any party having stakes in Punjab politics. More so, if he himself is not going to be in a leader’s role, that too of a political army which has chances of wresting power. Which one? For Sidhu, SAD-BJP is out of question. Then is it AAP or Congress? He chose to keep mum on this even as media reports have shown him to be inclined towards AAP.
His outbursts against BJP left no scope of any amends and consequent rapprochement. In his one way media take, he came across as a wounded warrior out to prove his prowess in the next round of gun battle. Sidhu, it seems, would like to play a larger role, kind of kingmaker to prove his worth. Remember his core remark that he was told to stay away from Punjab implying his political worthlessness in the eyes of BJP leadership. The real cause of pain!
In this context, becoming a member of a party and contesting the Assembly election to become an MLA or at best a minister cannot help achieve the ‘grand’ objective of being instrumental in ousting BJP from power in Punjab thus proving his worth to the party which subjected him to indignation despite unflinching loyalty and contribution. This will also help him settle political score with his bête noire Badals.
The question today is not which party Sidhu finally joins but of his role and status in that. The much expected announcement today may have been deferred for want of a final word on this whichever the party he is in talks with. Let’s wait for Sidhu’s next news conference.
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Raju William, Associate Editor, babushahi.com
raju.william@gmail.com
Phone No. : +91-98551-01121
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