Prashant Kishor didn’t approach Navjot Singh Sidhu for AAP: Punjab CM Amarinder Singh

CHANDIGARH: Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh on Friday said that he had approached poll strategist Prashant Kishor for handling the Congress campaign for the 2022 Punjab assembly elections, while discounting speculation that Kishor had approached Congress MLA Navjot Singh Sidhu on behalf of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
In reply to a question during a video conference, Amarinder said Kishor has said he would be quite happy to come and help.
Kishor ruled out any association with Sidhu or AAP, says Capt
Clearing the air on this count amid media reports that Kishor had said no to handling the Congress campaign in the state, the CM said, "I have known Kishor for almost four years. I did ask him if he was keen on the party’s campaign for the next assembly elections. He said he was very interested. I had sought opinion of the MLAs before approaching him and 55 of the 80 legislators wanted him."
Amarinder added that he had discussed the plan to hire Kishor with AICC president Sonia Gandhi, who had left the decision to him.
"While showing his willingness to support the Punjab Congress, Kishor had denied that he was in talks with Navjot Sidhu or the AAP with regard to the 2022 assembly elections. He (Kishor) said you can make it clear that I have not attempted this," said Amarinder.
During the last assembly elections, Kishor had planned Congress’s campaign with Amarinder as its face. Describing Kishor as a family member, Amarinder said the poll strategist had ruled out any association with either Sidhu or AAP, contrary to speculation in the media, and claims by Arvind Kejriwal.
‘Will contest 2022 election’ The chief minister reiterated his intention to contest the next Assembly elections in the state, but said the decision on leading the party rested with the Congress president. He made it clear during the video conference that he had initially termed the 2017 polls as his last election, but had subsequently, on the persuasion of his party colleagues, announced his decision to contest the 2022 elections.
Sidhu can talk to me if he has an issue: Capt In response to a question on Congress MLA Navjot Singh Sidhu, Amarinder said Sidhu or any other Congress member could come and talk to him about any issue. Investigations in the Bargari and other sacrilege cases were in progress but "we cannot just put people behind bars without following the due process of law," he said, referring to Sidhu’s purported criticism on this.
Captain also said that many challans have been presented in the Bargari case, but the state government cannot interfere in the work of the courts. On Sidhu’s interactions with the Congress leadership, Amarinder said Navjot was very much a part of the Congress and had been in touch with the party high command in that capacity.