The acceptance of Navjot Singh Sidhu's resignation as Punjab cabinet minister is the end of his political career, the Bharatiya Janata Party said on Saturday.
Chief Minister Amarinder Singh accepted the cricketer-turned-politician's "one-line" resignation and forwarded it to Governor V P Singh Badnore who conveyed his acceptance of the same, an official spokesperson said.
"Sidhu has no future in Punjab politics now. His political career is over," said BJP National secretary Tarun Chugh.
Hitting out at the Congress leader, Chugh said Sidhu first "deceived" the BJP and has now "cheated" the Congress with his "non-performance".
Punjab BJP chief Shwait Malik also hit out at Sidhu, dubbing him as a "selfish" individual "who thinks only about himself".
"He is a selfish man who earlier deceived the BJP which brought him into politics... He now has nowhere to go," said Malik, hailing Amarinder Singh for accepting Sidhu's resignation.
"When Sidhu joined the Congress, both Rahul Gandhi and Amarinder Singh had welcomed him. Now when Amarinder realised truth about Sidhu, he took the right decision (of accepting the resignation)," said Malik.
The Rajya Sabha MP further accused Sidhu of being the "worst ever" minister in the history of Punjab.
"No party will now invite him to join. He is a rejected commodity," alleged Malik.
Sidhu, who remained a four-time BJP MP from Amritsar, had quit the saffron party to join the Congress ahead of the 2017 assembly polls in Punjab.
Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party MLA Harpal Singh Cheema said that Sidhu should have assumed the charge as the state's power minister and worked for the welfare of the people.
"People had expectations from Sidhu as they are suffering because Punjab has the highest electricity rates in the country. He had the opportunity and should have availed it and delivered," said Cheema.
The AAP leader alleged that Sidhu was "forced" to quit as part of a "well-planned conspiracy".
