Tags:
Journalism of Courage
With Congress finalising the name of former Union Minister Pawan Bansal from Chandigarh and also deciding sitting MP GS Aujla its candidate from Amritsar, the development is being seen by party insiders as a double blow to party’s star campaigner and Punjab Cabinet minister Navjot Sidhu.
The wife of Punjab Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu, was aggressively campaigning in Chandigarh and was confident that she would get the party ticket. The second choice for the Sidhus was Amritsar, but that went to sitting MP GS Aujla.
Congress sources said that Sidhus were promised a Lok Sabha seat at the time the party took Navjot Singh Sidhu in its fold in January 2017, just ahead of Assembly election in Punjab. The Congress camp believed that Navjot Kaur Sidhu may be given a ticket from Amritsar as Navjot Singh Sidhu is a sitting MLA from Amritsar (East) and was a three-time MP from Amritsar.
A few days ago, Navjot Kaur Sidhu started campaigning in Chandigarh. All eyes were on her as she claimed that her husband was a star campaigner on 200 seats in the country and she would like a small constituency as Sidhu would not stay put in her constituency for campaigning.
But Tuesday’s decision has changed this scenario. The only hope for her now is Bathinda or Ferozepur if the party decides to field her against Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal. Her candidature against a Badal has been discussed at various platforms. In that situation, it may not be easy for Sidhu to campaign all over the country. Sidhu is yet to react to this development. He has been out of action for a month, ever since he was not given time to speak at AICC President Rahul Gandhi’s rally at Moga. He has not been seen campaigning for the party yet.
A few days ago he had released a statement that he was not well, had suffered bouts of influenza and was getting dental treatment.
