Sidhu files nomination for Amritsar Parliamentary seat

Amritsar, Jan 25 (UNI) Flashing the victory sign and amid slogans of 'Sidhu zindabad', cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu today filed his nomination papers as the BJP candidate for the Amritsar Parliamentary seat.

Sidhu's main opponent, Finance Minister Surinder Singla of the Congress, also filed his nomination papers for the Amritsar seat, which was vacated by the former test cricketer after his conviction in a road rage by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on December six.

Flanked by enthusiastic BJP workers and supporters, Sidhu drove in a procession to the Deputy Commissioner's office to submit his papers. BJP national general secretary and incharge of BJP affairs in Punjab, Arun Jaitley, who was expected to accompany Sidhu, could not reach the city due to some work in Delhi.

Mr Singla, who is the sitting MLA from Bathinda, also went in a procession to the Returning Officers office to file his Nomination.

Like his opponent, he too flashed the victory sign after submitting his papers.

Exuding confidence, Sidhu told reporters that the voters of Amritsar who gave him a thumping victory in the last Lok Sabha polls would again stand by him. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-BJP alliance will be voted to power in the assembly polls, he reiterated.

'' Mujeh saazish ke thet fasaya gaya hai (a conspiracy was hatched against me),'' he claimed and added '' Jaise Suraj ki rooshni ko aap nahin rok sakte, usi tarah saach ko nahe roka ga sakta (Just as you cannot stop the rays of the sun, you cannot hide the truth for long).'' ''However, I respect the Court's verdict and have great respect for the Judiciary,'' he said.

Mr Sidhu had resigned from the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat following his conviction in the road rage case. Sidhu, who was sentenced to three years imprisonment, appealed against his conviction and sought a stay from the Supreme Court.

The apex court stayed the conviction, paying the way for him to contest the Amritsar by-election.

Mr Singla was picked by the Congress high command to take on the immensely popular television anchor. In the last Lok Sabha polls, Sidhu had trounced Congress heavyweight and former Union minister R L Bhatia by over one lakh votes.

Mr Bhatia, now the Governor of Kerala, had won four Parliamentary elections from Amritsar. He was the first choice of the Congress for the by-election, but he declined.

UNI