Navjot Kaur Sidhu expelled from Congress days after she quit party

The Congress party has expelled Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu from its ranks. This decision was announced by Bhupesh Baghel, the party’s Punjab affairs in-charge, on Friday, after she launched a scathing attack on Rahul Gandhi in a recent social media post. She accused him of being disconnected from ground realities and surrounded by self-serving loyalists.

Apparently taking a cue from BJP’s mocking reference to Rahul Gandhi as ‘pappu’, Dr Sidhu wrote, “Pappu has finally put a stamp on his name. A leader who thinks he is the only honest and knowledgeable person, totally unaware of ground realities.”

Her expulsion comes days after she announced her resignation from the party, criticising the leadership for being “unaware of ground realities”. Her troubles with the party began in December 2025 when she was suspended for making a controversial remark about a “suitcase of Rs 500 crore” being needed to become the Chief Minister of Punjab.

Baghel’s clarification on Dr Sidhu’s expulsion comes days after former CM Charanjit Channi talked of bringing her back into the party fold. A party leader said Baghel’s statement is also a message to Channi to tow the party line.

Dr Sidhu, the wife of cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, had been targeting the Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Raja Warring, alleging he was incapable and corrupt. She accused Warring of colluding with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to destroy the party.

Warring claimed that Dr Sidhu had been suspended a few days ago for indiscipline. “The matter escalated today after Dr Sidhu took to her social media account,” he said.

In another post, Dr Sidhu hit out at Rahul Gandhi for not listening to ground realities and preferring to live in a self-created paradise. She praised BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, leading to speculation about the Sidhu couple potentially joining BJP.

The matter escalated today after Dr Sidhu took to her social media account, stating, “Pappu has finally put a stamp on his name. A leader who thinks he is the only honest and knowledgeable person, totally unaware of ground realities. People working for him in his inner circle succeed in keeping him in exile and enjoying luxuries of life, selling tickets long before he takes any decision. He takes more than 6 months to react to an emergency call, by which time loss is inevitable. Before asking people to join him, he should check with his so-called supporters whether they are ready to be honest.”

In another post, she hit out at Rahul Gandhi for not listening to ground realities and preferring to live in a self-created paradise. She said BJP had recognised her talent by making her Chief Parliamentary Secretary (CPS).

For the last few days, there have been speculations about the Sidhu couple joining BJP. Navjot Singh Sidhu has, so far, kept away from active politics, and his social media posts still feature pictures with Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi.

Dr Sidhu has been praising BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A senior party leader said her attack on Rahul Gandhi is timed around the same time BJP has targeted the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha after he termed Congressman-turned-BJP leader Ravneet Bittu a ‘traitor friend’.