Kejriwal plays safe as Cong negotiates terms with Sidhu

NEW DELHI: With speculation over cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu’s entry to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) causing unease in Punjab and Congress making

NEW DELHI: With speculation over cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu’s entry to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) causing unease in Punjab and Congress making desperate efforts to woo him, Delhi chief minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal said on Friday the cricketer needs time to think and his party respects that.

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A senior Congress leader, privy to the developments, has confirmed to HT that his party has opened a channel with Sidhu and his legislator wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu. The couple chose not to respond to phone calls, text messages and attempts to contact them through their aides.

“The party is willing to offer the Lok Sabha ticket from Amritsar to Sidhu and a minister’s job in the state government to his wife,” the Punjab Congress leader said. The offer of course, is contingent on the party winning the 2017 assembly elections and Captain Amarinder Singh — who is the party’s chief ministerial candidate — vacating the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat. Sidhu was elected thrice to the Lok Sabha from Amritsar and his wife is the sitting MLA from there. “Sidhu has Congress DNA in him and he will always be better off in the Congress,” Capt Singh said.

In a string of tweets on Friday morning, Kejriwal said there are rumours over the delay in Sidhu’s joining. “He met me last week. Didn’t put any precondition. He needs time to think. Let’s respect that (sic),” Kejriwal tweeted.

In another tweet, he left the question whether Sidhu would join or not, unanswered: “He is a v gud human being n a ckt legend. My respect for him wud continue whether he joins or not (sic).”