Pargat Singh, who was suspended by the Akali Dal, was supposed to join AAP in September, but sided with Sidhu.
Putting all speculations to rest, former BJP leader Navjot Singh Sidhu on Friday formed a new political front in Punjab –Aawaaz-e-Punjab – along with with India's former hockey captain Pargat Singh, who was also supposed to join AAP in September after being suspended by the Akali Dal. Punjab MLAs Simarjit Singh Bains and Balwant Singh Bains will also be part of Sidhu's team.
Pargat Singh, who was suspended by the Akali Dal, was supposed to join AAP in September, but sided with Sidhu.
A poster of the front with photos of Sidhu, Pargat Singh and Simrat Singh Bains and a caption stating the front will fight against those who have ruined Punjab came to the for on Friday.
The formal announcement is likely to take place in a week.
The development comes at a crucial juncture, just days after Aam Aadmi Party's Punjab convenor Sucha Singh Chhotepur was sacked on graft charges. Earlier, Sidhu was slated to be the party's star campaigner for the Punjab polls, a move which poll observers said would have significantly bolstered chances of AAP's victory in the state.
Meanwhile, AAP members said Sidhu had not given a definitive response to the party after he was offered the role of a star campaigner. Top party sources told dna that the former cricketer-turned-politician made it evident during the meetings with the AAP leadership that he was hoping to be pegged as the chief ministerial face for Punjab, even though he did not explicitly say so.
"The party leadership made it clear to him that he is free to join AAP but he would only be campaigning for the approaching polls. The initial idea was to give a ticket to his wife (Navjot Kaur Sidhu) since she is a very able leader," a top party leader said.
"As per the party rules, no two members of the same family can be given tickets to contest elections. So, giving a ticket to Sidhu was out of question. Moreover, he would have been a new member and giving him a ticket or making him the CM face would have demotivated old party members," the AAP leader said.
AAP sources said initially Sidhu was to take a call around around July 29, which was then postponed to August 15. Later, he was to get back to AAP by August 29, but there was again no concrete response, adding that he was in touch with the party leadership for almost a year.
On the other hand, reports of BJP leader Poonam Azad's decision to join AAP has also been put on the back burner.
AAP leaders said that Azad had largely remained incommunicado about any decision to join AAP. Her husband Kirti Azad stands expelled by the BJP for anti-party activities.
"In any case, people of Punjab are with us, it won't be affected by any person joining or not joining us," another AAP leader said.
The AAP is facing a triangular contest in Punjab against the ruling Akali-BJP combine and Congress.
Earlier, Arvind Kejriwal had stated that Sidhu had not put any pre-condition before the party. "He needs time to think. Lets respect that. He is a very good human being and a cricket legend. My respect for him would continue whether he joins or not (sic)," Kejriwal had said in a series of tweets.
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