CHANDIGARH: Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu has said Awaaz-e-Punjab will remain as a forum only and welcomed any alliance for “the betterment of Punjab”. He said that if he floated a new party, it would split the anti-incumbency vote and help the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal.
Breaking silence after forming the forum, Sidhu said, “Awaaz-e-Punjab will not be a political party. We will not divide the anti-incumbency vote bank, which could indirectly benefit the corroborative and collusive Badal-Amarinder nexus which has plundered Punjab for the last fifteen years.
This will defeat our purpose of bringing a change for the betterment of Punjab.” He refrained from attacking BJP and AAP.
Sidhu added that the cofounders of Awaaz-e-Punjab—MLAs Balwinder Singh Bains and Simarjit Singh Bains and former hockey captain Pargat Singh—wanted to contest all 117 seats in the state.
“But I pondered over the fluid political situation in Punjab, weighed the pros and cons and have come to a conclusive decision that we will not play spoilsport and instead facilitate the Punjab election,” he said.
“Politics is not a profession but a mission. There is no personal or political vendetta, just a burning desire to place Punjab ahead of us and reinforce the positive forces. May Punjab, Punjabiat and every Punjabi win,” Sidhu said.