Cricketer turned politician Navjot Singh Sidhu is heading for a convincing victory over his rival Surinder Singla in the Amritsar Lok Sabha bypoll. The Bharatiya Janata Party's candidate, Sidhu is leading in almost all the segments of his parliamentary seat by a comfortable margin.

Speaking to rediff.com on the phone from Amritsar, Sidhu said the chief minister Captain Amrinder Singh's arrogance will be a major factor behind the Congress's defeat in Punjab. The people are going to give a slap on the face of the Congress party, he said in his inimitable style.

"The Akali-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance will wrest power from the Maharaja of Patiala (Captain Amrinder Singh). His style of functioning, his arrogance and the coterie around him will be the cause of his downfall. I am leading in all the segments of the parliamentary seat. We are also leading in almost all the assembly segments in Amritsar. I will win by at least 70,000 votes," Sidhu said.

Even if Sidhu's prediction comes true, his margin of victory would fall by at least 35,000 votes compared to the 2004 general elections.