Dismissing speculations that he may join the BJP or Captain Amarinder Singh's party, former Punjab health minister and MLA Balbir Singh Sidhu on Monday said that he remained a loyal soldier of the Congress party and some people are deliberately spreading misinformation about him. Trying to put all speculations to rest during a press conference held on Monday, Sidhu alleged that former mayor Kulwant Singh was "spreading misleading propaganda" against him. He also said that a viral social media post, which claimed that he had met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and sought tickets for two MLAs and an MP, were completely fake. All of these were part of an “attempt to tarnish his image by spreading false propaganda”, he said. Sidhu said that in 2007, he had been approached by Parkash Singh Badal to join the Akali Dal and contest the elections. But he had turned down the offer, he said, adding that even back then, when there was a wave in favour of the Akalis, he successful contested on a Congress ticket. Subsequently, Sidhu contested the polls in 2012 and 2017, and emerged victorious on both occasions. He added that he will contest on a Congress ticket from the Mohali constituency this year. Sidhu further claimed that Kulwant Singh, the AAP candidate from Mohali, has been “trying to get a Congress ticket”. He said, “When Charanjit Singh Channi's name was announced as the next CM, Kulwant Singh was seated in the front row. He had then begged Harish Chaudhary to give him a Congress ticket. When his request was turned down, he decided to join AAP.” Sidhu claimed that Kulwant’s “nature is to change parties”, pointing out that he had contested the elections by leaving Akali Dal and forming an independent group, thus “betraying the Congress party” which made him a mayor in 2015. He went on to rejoin Akali Dal in 2017. He further said that after he was not given his ministry back, all the senior leaders and ministers, including the Chief Minister, had come to his house. He had also met Rahul Gandhi and asked for steps to ensure development in his constituency, he added.
