Navjot Singh Sidhu's entry to rev up AAP

New Delhi: Cricketer-turned-politician and one of the BJP’s star campaigners, Navjot Singh Sidhu’s joining AAP is expected to be a major boost for the outfit, which has already surged ahead of the Congress and the ruling BJP-Akali combine in Punjab.

In a statement, Mr Sidhu said, “At the behest of hon’ble Prime Minister, I had accepted the Rajya Sabha nomination for the welfare of Punjab.” Sounding disillusioned, Mr Sidhu wrote, “With the closure of every window leading to Punjab the purpose stands defeated.”

He felt that being a MP “is now a mere burden I prefer not to carry”. Quoting from the Gita, he said, “In the war of right and wrong, you cannot afford to be neutral rather than being self-centred.”

For Mr Sidhu, “Punjab's interest is paramount.” Mr Sidhu was apparently miffed with the party ever since he made way for Arun Jaitley in Amritsar in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

Ms Kaur had announced her resignation on Facebook earlier in April but later changed her mind. Mr Sidhu, who is originally from Patiala but was a two-term Lok Sabha MP from Amritsar, is from the Jat Sikh community, which, with 21 per cent of the state's voting population, is often the deciding factor in elections. Jat Sikhs, who are present primarily in the rural segment of Punjab’s three regions of Doaba, Malwa and Majha, are predominantly seen as the Akali votebank.

However, if the AAP manages to get Mr Sidhu into their fold, it could cut into it.  On an average, Akalis are known to get anything between 13 to 15 per cent of the Jat Sikh votes in the rural areas. This was one of the main reasons why the Badals managed to retain power in the 2012 Assembly elections.