Rs 500 Crore to Become Punjab CM? Navjot Kaur Sidhu’s Remark Fuels Massive Row

Chandigarh:  Punjab politics went into a tailspin on Sunday after Navjot Kaur Sidhu dropped a sensational charge that a staggering Rs 500 crore “suitcase” is what it allegedly takes to become the state’s chief minister. Her remark, delivered to reporters outside Raj Bhavan after meeting the Governor, instantly triggered a cross-party uproar.

Kaur Sidhu clarified that no one had ever asked her or her husband for money, but alleged that “the one who brings Rs 500 crore becomes the CM.” She also declared that Navjot Singh Sidhu would re-enter active politics only if Congress projected him as its chief ministerial face, adding another layer of intrigue to an already bitter internal churn within the party.

Navjot Singh Sidhu’s Wife;

“Only those leaders who can hand over a suitcase with ₹500 crore will be made the Congress CM candidate for Punjab.”

Mr @RahulGandhi, Who’s collecting this ₹500 crore?pic.twitter.com/vfAfz6gg8u

— Dr Ranjan (@AAPforNewIndia) December 6, 2025

The comment handed the BJP and AAP fresh political ammunition. Both parties accused Congress of “institutionalising corruption” and demanded that the party leadership explain whether the chief minister’s post was effectively being “auctioned.” AAP leaders called the statement “an admission of Congress’s moral bankruptcy,” while BJP spokespersons branded it “a shocking expose of how the party operates.”

Within Congress, the remark has deepened existing rifts. Senior leaders privately admitted that her statement has complicated the party’s already fragile power balance ahead of the 2027 Assembly race. The high command has so far avoided issuing a detailed clarification, even as pressure mounts from both rivals and party workers.

Political observers say the allegation comes at a critical moment when factions are jockeying for influence and the leadership question remains wide open. The controversy, they say, could weaken Congress’s standing and simultaneously raise the political stakes for Navjot Singh Sidhu, who has been attempting a calibrated return.

With both AAP and BJP planning to amplify the charge in the coming days, the “Rs 500 crore CM” storm is set to dominate Punjab’s political narrative — and may force Congress into uncomfortable answers it has long avoided.