Ready to give Navjot Singh Sidhu my Lok Sabha seat: Captain Amarinder Singh

CHANDIGARH: The Navjot Singh Sidhu saga got a fresh twist on Monday after a reluctant Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh offered him a prospective Lok Sabha candidature from Amritsar.

This is the first time in the past one month that Amarinder, after patronizing the ace cricketer over his forgotten sports career and his three associate MLAs on their winnability, has welcomed Sidhu.

"I have no reservations I am ready to give him Amritsar Lok Sabha seat. I have no reservations in including Sidhu, or other three MLAs from his outfit, including Pargat Singh, Simarjit Bains, Balwinder Bains," Amarinder told TOI.

"If the party is strengthened by the joining of like-minded people, we can only gain from any such development," he added. Sources in the Congress said the party high command had told Amarinder in no uncertain terms that Sidhu and his MLAs are in talks with them for a possible pre-poll arrangement.

The arrangement could vary between offering a deputy chief minister's post to Sidhu or a Lok Sabha candidature to him and Vidhan Sabha candidature to his outfit's all three sitting MLAs. Awaaz-e-Punjab though welcomed a change in Amarinder's attitude towards them but insisted that they were not keen on sharing political stage with the former CM. "His acknowledgement is a welcome step but Amarinder's corruption cases are the same as faced by Akali Dal netas. He's facing inquiries in embezzlement cases. We could have joined hands with Akali Dal in that case. Wait for a big surprise," said Bains, an independent legislator from Ludhiana.

Bains did not confirm whether Awaaz-e-Punjab was in talks with Aam Aadmi Party but the latter's Punjab affairs in-charge Gurpreet Guggi said, "AAP and their outfit are natural allies. We will be delighted to have these people due to their earnest effort to bring in clean politics".

Highly placed sources in the Congress said the party knows the significance of Awaaz-e-Punjab's clean image and anti-Badal stance and may arrive at a formula of keeping Amarinder as the chief ministerial face but easing him out as Punjab Congress chief.According to sources, the high command has expressed strong dissatisfaction with Amarinder's handling of two key issues including defection of two Dalit leaders - Kabir Das and Seth Satpal Mall - in Doaba region to SAD. Both of them are pointsmen of Dera Sachkhand Ballan (religious sect) head that enjoys the support of around 15 lakh, which is more than 80% of Ravidassia caste. The sect has the ability to tilt votes in areas including Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur and Nawanshahar.

The high command is also said to be unhappy over the announcement of candidates on key seats like Bathinda (Urban), Payal, Khadoor Sahib, and Jalandhar Cantonment. Badal family rebel Manpreet has been eyeing Bathinda (Urban) seat.