This Article is From Jul 17, 2009

Sidhu threatens to quit as MP over intra-party rivalry

New Delhi:

Miffed at the appointment of a BJP MLA from his rival camp as chairperson of a trust in his constituency, cricketer-turned-MP Navjot Singh Sidhu on Friday met senior party leaders in New Delhi and threatened to resign but party sources said they were confident of overcoming the crisis.

Sidhu, BJP MP from Amritsar, sent a letter to Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha L K Advani expressing his resentment over the appointment of local BJP MLA, Inder Mohan Cheena, as chairperson of the Amritsar Improvement Trust.

The MP reportedly stated that if the appointment was not cancelled, he will resign his Lok Sabha seat.

Cheena is said to be Sidhu's bete noire, whose rise the former cricketer sees as a threat to his position in the constituency.

Sidhu also has an apparent grudge against Cheena as he got the least number of votes in the latter's assembly constituency during the last Lok Sabha polls.

The issue had been simmering for the last fortnight after Cheena's appointment was made. Sidhu discussed the issue with senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley on Friday.

Sources close to Jaitley said the matter would be "resolved" in a couple of days as the party was looking at Sidhu's grievances and trying to reach an amicable solution.

However, the rival camp seems to be adamant that Cheena's appointment should not be reversed.

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