Sidhu's induction will be beneficial for us ahead of Punjab elections: Congress

New Delhi [India], Jan. 16 (ANI): The Congress on Monday hailed Navjot Singh Sidhu's induction in the grand old party saying that the latter's decision would help the party in the upcoming elections. 'Sidhu has joined our party and he would help in making our party strong. For the last few months the confusion that was persisting over his joining new party has now been cleared," Congress leader Meem Afzal told ANI. He further said that Sidhu's induction would be proved beneficial for the Congress in the upcoming Punjab polls. The cricketer-turned-politician yesterday officially joined the Congress in the presence of party vice-president Rahul Gandhi. This political development came months after Sidhu's wife Navjot Kaur joined the Congress. The Congress is planning to field Sidhu against the Badals in the upcoming polls.He may either be fielded from Lambi, where Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal is the Shiromani Akali Akali's (SAD) candidate or from Jalalabad against Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal. Sidhu, who hails from Patiala, became Member of Parliament(MP) for the first time contesting on the BJP ticket from Amritsar in 2004. In April 2016, he took oath as a member of the Rajya Sabha, but resigned in July 2016. Soon thereafter he also quit from the BJP and, with the aim of fighting all anti-Punjab forces, formed a new political front - Awaaz-e- Punjab, along with former hockey player Pargat Singh. Punjab goes to polls on February 4. (ANI)