“Aawaze Punjab” forum welcomes any alliance for the betterment of Punjab and will not be a political party", said Navjot Singh Sidhu making a big u turn on the turn of events in Punjab politics. Navjot Singh Sidhu, who recently launched a forum called the Awaaz-e-Punjab, has abandoned the idea of following through with a new political party to contest the Punjab elections, leading to speculation about a renewal of negotiations with Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party.

Mr Sidhu said in a press release today that he is inviting parties to ally with his forum, which he emphasised is not political, "for the betterment of Punjab". According to a reports sources close to Sidhu have said that the cricketer-turned-politician is not interested in contesting polls as he does not want to divide the "anti-incumbency" vote.

Rather, Sidhu, according to the news channel, is interested in looking at a pre-poll alliance with parties contesting the Punjab poll. “Our battle is to shake the system that has ruined Punjab. Politics is not a profession but a mission. There is no personal or political vendetta, just a burning desire to place Punjab ahead of us and reinforce the positive forces,” he said. The cricketer-turned politician claimed that the launch of the Aawaaz-e-Punjab has had a “rousing response” in the state.