Yuvraj Singh likely to join BJP ahead of Lok Sabha Elections

Former India cricketer Yuvraj Singh is likely to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections. The 42-year-old was recently spotted having a meeting with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari which has led to speculations of him joining the Saffron Party. He is likely to contest the election from the Gurdaspur constituency in Punjab. However, neither BJP nor Yuvraj has confirmed the development.

Notably, Bollywood actor Sunny Deol is currently the MP of Gurdaspur. However, the centre is looking for a change and that’s how Yuvraj’s name has come up. Previously, actor Vinod Khanna also represented Gurdaspur, which shows that the constituency always had high-profile candidates representing them.

Also read: Yuvraj Singh to lead New York Superstar Strikers in Legends Cricket Trophy 2024

The Times of India also reported that former cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu is likely to make his return to BJP. He was an integral member of the party before switching to Indian National Congress (INC) in 2017. He took part in the elections and soon became one of the faces of INC in Punjab.

However, he had a fallout with then Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, which resulted in him joining the BJP. On the other hand, Sidhu continued as one of the leaders of Congress in Punjab but he failed to help the party win the state election in 2022. 

It resulted in Sidhu getting limited opportunities, especially with BJP being the main opposition, due to their presence in the centre. With the hope of getting an MP seat, Sidhu is reported to make his return to the BJP as Somdev Sharma indicated.

“Discussions are underway with other BJP leaders and potential candidates in anticipation of his joining, but details are being closely guarded,” Sharma who’s close to the party said.

Meanwhile, Sidhu is likely to contest from the Amritsar constituency if he ends up joining the BJP. However, Congress functionary Raman Bakshi dismissed the possibility of Sidhu joining the BJP and stated that a person who switches parties from time to time loses credibility in the eyes of the public.

“A leader who keeps hopping from one party to another loses his charm and credibility," he said.