New Delhi : Punjab MLAs Pargat Singh and Dr Navjor Kaur Sidhu joined the Congress in the presence of party’s Punjab incharge Asha Kumari and state chief Capt Amarinder Singh here yesterday.
Pargat Singh represents Jalandhar Cant in the Punjab Assembly and Navjot Kaur represents Amritsar East. Asked if they will defend their segments in the upcoming state elections or change their seats, the duo said: “We have joined the Congress unconditionally and will do what the party asks us to do.”
Pargat Singh indicated that he would personally like to contest his current segment to complete “unfinished works”. The former Akali leader qualified his statement saying: “I will, however, do as the party says.”
Asked if the Congress will apply its 2013 national resolution (which says newcomers should cool off in the party for three years before seeking ticket) in case of Punjab, Amarinder said: “That is for the party president to decide.”
To another query on whether all sitting MLAs of the Congress will get ticket as per the policy of “sitting-getting”, Amarinder said: “The Congress president will decide. We will only recommend.” He didn’t elaborate. Dr Navjot Kaur said she had joined the Congress for its ideology and for the fact that the Congress was the best alternative to the Akali-BJP regime being a national broad-based party.
Capt: If Ms Sidhu is here, can Mr Sidhu be far behind
Fielding queries on the much-talked about induction of Navjot Singh Sidhu into the Congress, Amarinder said: “If Ms Sidhu is here, can Mr Sidhu be far behind.” He didn’t clarify when Sidhu will join and whether he will formally join the Congress at all, but said he had not met Sidhu to date. “I am yet to meet Sidhu. I will meet him once he returns from Mumbai. You will come to know,” he said choosing to be silent on whether Sidhu will contest the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat after Amarinder resigned from there. Dr Navjot Kaur was quite categorical in maintaining that her husband would follow her to the new party. “Navjot Sidhu and I are two bodies and one soul. We are soulmates. If I am here, where will he go?” she said.