The Congress party may soon ask the cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu to pad-up for a new inning in the wake of the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, just about six months away. Sidhu, who is currently the Cabinet Minister in the Congress Government in Punjab, is likely to be given a major responsibility for the crucial elections, not only in the state, but at the national level.

Sources have informed The Pioneer that Sidhu has met senior party leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi, in the national capital. Even though the details of the meeting were kept undisclosed, it has been learnt that primarily focus was laid on the 2019 elections, and the ensuing assembly polls in the five states.Besides Priyanka, Sidhu has reportedly met Ashok Gehlot, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary and the Rajasthan’s former Chief Minister.

 It has been learnt that considering Sidhu’s popularity at the national level, considering his cricketing career and the appearance on the television, the party would field him as one of the star campaigners.

“Starting with assembly elections, Sidhu may be given the responsibility of running the party’s election campaign in at least three states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan where the people can understand Hindi. After gauging the response, he may be given greater role in 2019 polls,” said a senior Congress leader, privy to the information. Sidhu’s direct contact with the party high command, including the party chief Rahul Gandhi, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, is known to one and all. Sidhu has emerged as Rahul’s favourite, after the three-time BJP MP switched sides to join the Congress ahead 2017 Punjab Assembly polls.

The Punjab’s Tourism and Local Government Minister, Sidhu has all along been describing himself as “a loyal soldier” of his leaders.