Punjab election: Congress calling for Navjot Singh Sidhu?

New Delhi: Cricketer-turned-comedian-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu is expected to join Congress in the coming days. On Tuesday, Mr Sidhu met Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for about 45 minutes.

Negotiations between the Congress and Mr Sidhu has been going on long now but after Bains brothers tied up with the Aam Aadmi Party, options seem to be limited for him.

Mr Sidhu’s wife and former hockey player Pargat Singh have already joined the party and are expected to get tickets for the upcoming Assembly polls in Punjab.

Mr Sidhu had also met Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh, who had confirmed that Mr Sidhu will campaign for the party. Sources say the party  may field him as their Lok Sabha candidate from the Amritsar Parliamentary constituency. Amarinder Singh resigned as MP from Amritsar following the Supreme Court decision on the Sutlej-Yamuna Link.

However, party insiders also say he may contest Assembly elections. But a final call on this will be taken by Congress president Sonia Gandhi. The Central Election Committee of the Congress headed by Ms Gandhi has released a list of 61 candidates for Punjab.