Sidhu, Pargat not to float party; Awaaz-e-Punjab to remain forum

Chandigarh : Awaaz-e-Punjab will remain only a forum as its leaders Navjot Singh Sidhu and Pargat Singh are averse to floating a political party, saying doing so would only divide the anti-incumbency vote and help the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal.The two players-tuned-politicians said the current situation in the state is not ideal to float a party as it would work against Punjab’s interests.In a press release issued here on Wednesday, Sidhu said the forum received a rousing response in Punjab. “The Bains brothers roared like lions and wanted to contest all 117 seats. Hockey legend Pargat Singh, the eternal optimist, was in the affirmative. I have pondered the fluid political situation in the state, weighed the pros and cons and reached the conclusion that we will not play spoilsport and confuse people further but give them clarity to vote in Punjab’s interests.” Sidhu said they would not divide the anti-incumbency vote, which could benefit the “Badal-Amarinder nexus”. “This will defeat our purpose of bringing a change for the betterment of Punjab,” he said.The four-time Amritsar MP said the minimum time taken by a new political party to win a state election is almost two years, and three months was too short a time for the herculean task. “Our battle is to shake the system that has ruined Punjab. Politics is not a profession but a mission. There is no personal or political vendetta; just a burning desire to take Punjab ahead. The forum welcomes any alliance for the betterment of Punjab and will not be a political party,” Sidhu said.