'Focus on sports': Harbhajan Singh takes to new pitch; becomes candidate for Indian political party

Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has taken to a new pitch as an Indian political party — the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) — nominated him as its Rajya Sabha candidate from Punjab. Incidentally, India cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, served his term as a Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha from 2012 to 2018 and became the first active sports person and cricketer to take the role. 

The Indian spin great, after filing his papers for the Rajya Sabha from Punjab, clarified that his focus will remain largely on developing sports and its infrastructure in the state. 

“My focus will be on the development of sports and connecting the youth of Punjab with sports. A country like India should win 200 medals in the Olympics, I will do everything to promote sports in the country,” the spin great told reporters after filing his papers for the Rajya Sabha from Punjab as an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) nominee. 

“I feel that we get excited after winning just two medals in the Olympics. A country like India should return from the Olympics after winning 200 medals. My role would be to promote sports.”

Singh, who picked up 417 Test wickets in his international career, was also of the opinion that life beyond the 24-yard pitch can have its fair share of pressure but he will try to do the best for the people of Punjab. 

“During my career as a cricketer, I thought playing cricket matches brought quite a pressure. Now I realise that even life outside cricket has plenty of pressure,” Singh said. 

“Right now my focus is on sports. I will try and connect with the youth of Punjab and India. We need to improve the infrastructure to an extent that our youth go on to make Punjab and India proud.”

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The ‘turbanator’ is among the five candidates chosen by the Indian political party to the Upper House of Parliament from Punjab. The other members include Raghav Chadha, IIT Delhi faculty Sandeep Pathak, industrialist Sanjeev Arora and educationist Ashok Kumar Mittal. 

It should be noted that the previous term of Rajya Sabha members — Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa (Shiromani Akali Dal – SAD), Partap Singh Bajwa (Congress), Shwait Malik (Bharatiya Janata Party -BJP), Naresh Gujral (SAD) and Shamsher Singh Dullo (Congress) — will come to an end on April 9. 

The state of Punjab has a total of seven seats in the Upper House of Parliament. The term of SAD’s Balwinder Singh Bhunder and Congress leader Ambika Soni, who are also Rajya Sabha MPs from Punjab, will come to an end on July 4 and the elections for these two seats will be held later.