Navjot Singh Sidhu may contest from Amritsar as Congress candidate

New Delhi: Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, who is still keeping his cards close to his chest, is likely to contest the upcoming assembly elections in Punjab as a Congress party candidate.

Reports on Wednesday said that Sidhu may contest from Amritsar (East) seat on Congress ticket.

Sidhu yesterday met Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi triggering speculations of his joining the party very soon.

The meeting reportedly lasted over 30 minutes. Amritsar (East) seat is currently held by his wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu.

His wife, who had joined the Congress earlier, had dropped ample hints that he would contest the upcoming state polls on the party ticket.

"Sidhu is likely to join very soon. He will meet Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh in a couple of days, finalise his date of joining and decide his role," a party insider was quoted as saying.

The meeting came only hours after the Congress suffered a major setback in the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation elections, winning just four out of 26 seats. 

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept the elections by winning 20 of the 26 seats, thus retaining its control over the civic body.

Both Sidhu and his wife had resigned from the BJP. He had also quit the Rajya Sabha seat as a nominated member.