Speculations rife over Yuvraj Singh joining and Navjot Sidhu returning to BJP
There’s a buzz within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) about the possible return of Navjot Singh Sidhu to the party fold, along with discussions about fielding another former cricketer Yuvraj Singh from the Gurdaspur parliamentary constituency for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Despite Sidhu’s ongoing criticism of the Union government’s handling of farmer issues, rumours continue to circulate.
Known for his eloquence, Sidhu has been at odds with the Congress leadership in Punjab ever since he was removed from the position of the head of the party’s state unit before the 2022 assembly elections and has openly defied the party’s directives by organising his own rallies.
If negotiations come to fruition, Sidhu could be offered the candidature of Amritsar, a traditional BJP stronghold.
Congress sources, on the other hand, dismissed this rumour and said he would be offered a ticket, but from a constituency other than Amritsar.
Yuvraj, on the other hand, may be offered to stand from Gurdaspur, where the incumbent MP Sunny Deol has expressed reluctance for another term, and the BJP too appears unenthusiastic about his candidacy (incidentally, he was among the handful of MPs with no involvement in parliamentary interventions in the 17th Lok Sabha).
Since 2009, this constituency has alternated between the Congress and the BJP. There is palpable discontent in Gurdaspur due to Deol’s perceived neglect of his constituency since his victory in 2019.
The BJP aims to counter Deol’s anti-incumbency sentiment with a popular young Punjabi figure who, unlike the veteran actor, resides nearby, in Chandigarh.
The repeal of the three farm laws by the Union government in 2021, following the year-long farmers’ protests, has estranged a significant portion of Punjabi voters from the BJP.
Despite the Modi government procuring 99 per cent of the paddy crop on MSP in Punjab and 74 per cent of the wheat crop last season, the recent wave of farmers’ protests demanding an MSP law (to standardise MSPs for all crops) and subsequent street confrontations have not mended the rift between Punjab and the BJP.
Therefore, a Punjabi-speaking former cricketer who has brought pride to India on numerous occasions could potentially mitigate damage for the BJP in the state.
If Singh indeed joins the BJP, he could aid the party not only in Punjab but also in parts of Haryana, where large numbers of Punjabis reside.
