Navjot Sidhu not to contest next LS poll from Amritsar: Wife

Peeved over BJP sidelining him, three-time MP from Amritsar Navjot Singh Sidhu will not contest the next Lok Sabha polls from there, his wife Navjot Kaur said on Thursday. "My husband will not contest parliamentary elections from Amritsar and a decision in this context was taken long back as the BJP ignored and sidelined him and his local team, which have been working in the constituency for more than a decade now," Kaur, who is also Punjab Chief Parliamentary Secretary, told PTI. The cricketer-turned-politician was, however, not available for comments on the issue. Kaur had, earlier, stirred up a controversy within the BJP's state unit by commenting on the social networking site that her husband felt "sidelined and ignored" in the party. Kaur, BJP MLA from Amritsar (East), said "Yesterday, I was with him (Sidhu) at Delhi and told him about what I had posted on my social networking site account which was open to general public. "On hearing this, he said that he didn't like politics anymore as he was not getting due respect from his own party leaders. My husband told me that now he didn't want to indulge his mind in politics." She further said, "What I have posted on Facebook was not from my mind but from the core of my heart and there is no politics or hypocrisy involved in it," she said. Kaur's comments assume significance as they pose a question over Sidhu's continuation in politics. "Can anybody tell me, how one can let a honest leader survive, one who does not believe in corruption, does not support criminals, does not become party to commission system, what good can he do to the party? So, finally you pair up to push him aside; make him feel suffocated in the system despite three election wins, just because of his honesty and down to earth attitude," she said. "I and my husband have strong grudge against party leadership, which did not allow him to make his team for the coming Lok Sabha polls. Without team how elections could be contested and I fail to understand what the BJP did with us," Kaur added. She slammed the BJP, saying "the party high command not permit Sidhu run the show in Amritsar because of his honesty." She also said everybody knows that Sidhu left TV show 'Bigg Boss' to campaign for the party in the Gujarat Assembly polls. Asked about her own future, she said that she would follow whatever Sidhu tells her to do. "I am committed to my people of my constituency who voted for me. I would serve them day and night and my husband also suggested to remain loyal for the people who trusted me a lot," she said. Kaur wrote on Facebook that Sidhu had kept himself busy the TV world in recent times because he was allegedly made to "feel suffocated in the system for his honesty", dismissing allegations that he was ignoring Amritsar and running away from the constituency for TV shows and other assignments. She further posted that her husband has "gone back to the profession where he is respected," putting a question mark on Sidhu's political career. Kaur alleged that Sidhu was not consulted by the party while selecting BJP leaders for state and even Amritsar district bodies. Both, the Union government as well as the state government scuttled projects pushed by him, she said. Kaur further wrote that Sidhu had even not been able to devote proper time to his family because of his commitment towards the Amritsar constituency. She also mentioned that Sidhu left some lucrative TV contracts and ran from pillar to post to get major projects approved for Amritsar, which were, however, scuttled by the Centre and the state government. "Evil wins over, still Kalyug; Amritsar loses a real leader. I salute him because truth always wins," she wrote. According to sources, Sidhu also had differences with SAD leader and state minister Bikram Singh Majithia over issues related to municipal corporation polls.