When Navjot Singh Sidhu was appointed the Punjab Congress president in July 2021, many Aam Aadmi Party leaders in Punjab celebrated his appointment as it put an end to speculations that he (Sidhu) might join the AAP.
They were apprehensive that in case he joined, he would overshadow all of them.
Most of the Punjab Congress leaders must be feeling a similar kind of relief now, after Sidhu decided to take a sabbatical from politics and resume cricket commentary.
Sidhu announced on Tuesday that he will return to the ‘Commentary Box’ for the next IPL season. This announcement has come when the country is already in the election mode and General Elections have already been announced.
Sidhu has always been a “Star Campaigner” in both the parties, the Congress and earlier when he was in the BJP. He is an ace campaigner endowed with the gift of gab. And he is a much sought after campaigner by anyone and everyone.
Him taking a ‘sabbatical’ from politics has come as a surprise, so much so, it is being dubbed as virtual ‘sanyas’.
It looks like a full ‘circle’ for Sidhu from commentary box, back to commentary box.
It was exactly twenty years ago in 2004, when the BJP with Atal Bihari Vajpayee as the Prime Minister, was looking forward to another term under the slogan of “India Shining”.
Sidhu was commentating in Pakistan for the India Pakistan cricket series. He got a call from the BJP office with an offer to contest from Amritsar.
He cut short his “commentary assignment” and jumped into the political fray, defeating the Congress veteran and stalwart, a former union minister and Governor, Raghu Nandan Lal Bhatia by a massive margin.
Having been an ace commentator, he turned out to be an ace parliamentarian as well. So much so, the then Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Somnath Chatterjee would not mind giving him extra time to speak despite belonging to the opposition, Bharatiya Janata Party.
Chatterjee would praise his oratorical skills in the parliament.
Sidhu seemed to have a promising career in politics, more specifically with the BJP. Being a Sikh face, that too from the dominant Jatt Sikh community was an additional qualification. However, there was a problem.
The Shiromani Akali Dal, the BJP’s alliance partner in Punjab did not want to see a strong and influential Jatt Sikh leader rising in the BJP.
He would obviously occupy the Akali space, which the party was guarding so fiercely. It is a different story that the Akali Dal lost that space even without Sidhu being in the BJP.
Sidhu started feeling suffocated in the BJP not because of the BJP leadership, but because of the Akalis. Sidhu was replaced in Amritsar in 2014 with Arun Jiately, at the apparent behest of the Akalis, his one time mentor in politics and also in cricket.
Sidhu was offered to contest from Kurukshetra, which he declined. Later he was nominated to Rajya Sabha by the BJP. Even then he was not feeling comfortable apparently for the reason, as he believed, that he was being sidelined and kept away from Punjab at Akalis’ behest.
Ahead of the 2017 Punjab assembly elections, he started exploring alternative options. He met Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejirwal in 2016. Kejriwal is believed to have assured him that in case he joins AAP, he will be made the Chief Ministerial face of the party ahead of the 2017 Punjab elections.
After Sidhu resigned from the Rajya Sabha and the BJP, the AAP worded its tweet in such a way, making it look like he had joined the AAP, while as he had only resigned from the BJP.
Kejriwal reportedly backed out after Sidhu resigned from the BJP leaving him nowhere.
The Congress then was the only option left for him to join, which he did.
This was despite strong resistance against his joining the party by then Punjab Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh.
As it later turned out, his resistance was justified.
After Congress’ victory in 2017, Sidhu expected to be appointed as the Deputy Chief Minister.
Over a period his disillusionment kept on growing. When Capt Amarinder changed his portfolio, he made it a point of prestige and resigned as the minister.
Eventually he was appointed the Punjab Congress president much against the wishes of the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder.
The Congress decline in Punjab started from that moment only. The drift continued further when Capt Amarinder was made to resign and replaced with Charanjit Singh Channi.
Sidhu realised that getting Capt Amarinder removed did not yield anything for him.
He continued to sulk.
The party fought the 2022 assembly elections under his leadership, as he was the state Congress president while Channi was the Chief Minister.
This was the worst ever show of the party coming down to mere 18 seats from 78. He also lost his own election from Amritsar East to AAP. This was followed by a jail term of about ten months for his road rage case.
Sidhu has never been able to get back on track. Having burnt his bridges with almost every party whether the BJP, the AAP, the Akali Dal and almost with the Congress, he ended up alone by himself.
Although he still does enjoy popularity among people for being honest and upright, that alone will not guarantee him success in politics. Probably he has realised that, maybe a bit late.
Now having taken a ‘sabbatical’, which hopefully should not end in ‘sanyas’, it has been a full circle for the ace cricketer, known for aggressive strokes.
It was twenty years ago in 2004 when he entered politics in General Elections and twenty years later in 2024 again during the General Elections, he made an exit, going back to where he belongs, “the commentary box”.
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