Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sindhu had met Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal last week here amid reports that the negotiations to join the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are in the last stage and he may join the party on the eve of Independence Day.
Kejriwal today tweeted that Sidhu had met him last week and the two had discussed his entry into the party, which is eyeing victory in the upcoming Punjab Assembly polls.
“He met me last week. (He) Didn't put any pre-condition. He needs time to think. Let’s respect that,” he tweeted.
“He is a very good human being. My respect for him would continue whether he joins or not,” his another tweets reads.
Kejriwal’s disclosure comes a day after AAP MP Bhagwant Mann informed that Kejriwal had made it clear to Sidhu that the party will not accept any pre-conditions from anyone for joining the party.
It is believed that the former BJP parliamentarian has demanded that he should be made AAP’s chief ministerial candidate for the Punjab elections and his wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu be given ticket to contest the elections. But according to the constitution of AAP, two members belonging to the same family cannot simultaneously be office-bearers or contest polls.
On August 13, when Sidhu met Kejriwal, it was speculated that he would join the party on that day itself. But Sidhu’s terms have not been met yet and this has left uncertainty over his induction into the party.
Sourced said that the AAP is not willing to make an announcement regarding Sidhu’s role at the time of his joining nor commit anything to Sidhu and his wife. The party is insisting that Sidhu be made a star campaigner and is unrelenting on bending its rule of ‘only one ticket per family’ for the duo.
Sidhu had resigned from Rajya Sabha membership but not from the party BJP.
The AAP's entry has made the coming Punjab election a triangular affair for the first time. Both the Akalis and the Congress admit their main foe is the AAP.
