Amid speculations of cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu leaving the Congress party and joining the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday said that Sidhu is very much a part of the Congress party and that he is not joining AAP.
The Chief Minister said that he had confirmed this with election strategist Prashant Kishor. Amarinder Singh told NDTV, "Navjot Sidhu is very much a part of our party. As far as Prashant Kishor approaching Sidhu to join AAP is concerned, it is not true and it has been confirmed to me by Prashant himself."
There were reports that Prashant Kishor is negotiating talks between Sidhu and Kejriwal.
On Thursday, speaking at a conclave organised by News18 India, Kejriwal had raised speculations after saying that Sidhu was welcome to join AAP. “He is welcome,” said the Delhi CM.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister also said that the poll strategist Prashant Kishor has told him that he would be "quite happy" in handling the election campaign of the Congress in Punjab for the 2022 assembly polls.
Singh said Congress president Sonia Gandhi has left it to him on roping in Kishor for strategising the party's poll campaign in the state.
"Kishor has said he would be quite happy to come and help," said Singh, amid media reports that Kishor had said no to handling the party's campaign in the state.
Kishor had handled the party's poll campaign in Punjab in the 2017 assembly polls.
(With PTI inputs)
