Navjot Singh Sidhu likely to join Congress on January 10

Navjot Singh Sidhu

Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu is set to join the Congress. Sources said he could join the party on January 10. He is likely to be fielded as the Congress nominee from the Amritsar East Assembly seat, now represented by his wife Navjot Kaur.

Navjot Kaur had joined the Congress in November. The Congress had left it to the couple to decide who would contest from the seat. Kaur last week said that Sidhu may contest from Amritsar East. Sidhu, who had represented Amritsar in the Lok Sabha between 2004 and 2014 on a BJP ticket, last month met Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi to discuss the modalities of his entry into the Congress.

Rahul is yet to return from his New Year trip abroad, and sources said Sidhu would join the Congress only after his return because he wanted to join the party in his presence. The Central Election Committee of the Congress will also meet on January 10 to finalise the candidates for the remaining 40 seats in Punjab. The party has so far announced candidates for 77 seats in two tranches.

Sidhu and his wife had quit the BJP last year over differences with the top leadership.