Navjot Singh Sidhu

Navjot Singh Sidhu is a politician of India, a former international cricketer and a television personality. He is a leading member of the Indian National Congress Party (INC) and has been the President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC). He has also worked as a Cabinet Minister of the Punjab State Government.

Early Life & Education

Sidhu was born on October 20, 1963 in Patiala, Punjab. His father was Sardar Bhagwant Singh, a lawyer by profession and an ardent sports lover who helped him become a cricketer in his early days. Sidhu was educated at Yadavindra Public School in Patiala. He shifted to Mumbai for higher studies and graduated from HR College of Commerce and Economics.

Political Career

Navjot Singh Sidhu entered politics in 2004 when he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In the same year, he stood in the Lok Sabha election from Amritsar and won the seat to become a Member of Parliament. He became the representative of the constituency in the 14th and 15th Lok Sabha after winning the 2004, 2007 by-election, and 2009 Lok Sabha elections as a BJP candidate.

In April 2016, he was nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the BJP but resigned from the house in July 2016. In January 2017, Sidhu switched parties and joined the Indian National Congress (INC) before Punjab Assembly elections. After the victory of Congress, he was inducted as a Minister for Local Government, Tourism, and Cultural Affairs in the Punjab Cabinet headed by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh. In 2019, he resigned from the Cabinet due to differences regarding portfolio allocation.

Sidhu was appointed President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) in July 2021. He resigned from the post following defeat of Congress party in the 2022 Punjab Assembly election.

Navjot Singh Sidhu was first elected to the Lok Sabha from Amritsar in the year 2004 on BJP ticket and defeated Surinder Singla, who was the candidate of the Indian National Congress (INC). After resigning from the parliament in 2006 due to his involvement in road rage case, Navjot Singh Sidhu won the 2007 by-election for the same constituency. Navjot Singh Sidhu was re-elected to the Lok Sabha from Amritsar in 2009 elections, defeating Om Parkash Soni of the INC. In 2017 Punjab Assembly elections, Navjot Singh Sidhu contested for the Amritsar East seat from Congress party and won the election with a margin of more than 42,000 votes. But in the 2022 Punjab Assembly election, Navjot Singh Sidhu lost the seat to Jeevan Jyot Kaur from Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Key Initiatives & Contributions

As the Minister for Local Government, Tourism, and Culture of Punjab (2017-2019), Navjot Singh Sidhu focused on the areas of urban development, tourism, and heritage preservation. He also strongly backed the Kartarpur Corridor project which would facilitate easier travel of Sikh pilgrims to the gurdwara in Pakistan, Darbar Sahib.

Personal Information

Navjot Singh Sidhu is married to Dr. Navjot Kaur Sidhu, who is a medical doctor as well as a former MLA of Punjab state. They have two kids, namely Karan Sidhu and Rabia Sidhu. According to Navjot’s affidavit filed for the Punjab Assembly election held in 2022, his total assets were about ₹44.65 crore with no liability.

Controversies

Legal and political controversies have surrounded Navjot Singh Sidhu’s public life. One such controversy is that of the road rage case of Patiala in 1988, which the Supreme Court convicted him for under Section 323 of the Indian Penal Code in May 2022 and sentenced him to imprisonment of one year, which he completed in April 2023.

The other controversy is Sidhu’s presence at the swearing-in ceremony of Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan and embracing Pakistan’s Army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, during the said ceremony in 2018.

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[NGN/PK]