Ahead of Delhi Assembly polls Kiran Bedi joins BJP, to counter AAP's Kejriwal
Source: The Sangai Express / Courtesy: The Hindustan Times
New Delhi, January 15 2015:
Former Team Anna member Kiran Bedi on Thursday joined BJP and will contest the February 7 Delhi Assembly polls, a move seen as the party's effort to contain Aam Aadmi Party in the National capital.
The 65-year old former IPS officer was inducted into the party fold in the presence of BJP President Amit Shah and Union Ministers Arun Jaitley and Harsh Vardhan, triggering speculation that she may be in the race for Chief Ministership if BJP wins the polls.
When asked whether she will be the party's Chief Ministerial candidate, Shah said party's Parliamentary Board will take a call on the issue after election results are out but added that her induction will "hugely strengthen" the Delhi unit.
He also announced that she will contest the polls but declined to answer whether she will be pitted against her former Team Anna colleague Arvind Kejriwal in the prestigious New Delhi Constituency.
"A decision about her Constituency will be taken later.
"Bedi's constructive contribution will play an important role in ensuring that BJP lives up to the expectation of the people in the election and in any future Government" Shah told a press conference at the party's headquarters.
Describing her as an able administrator who has been a crusader while in Government and outside it, Jaitley said the party had been in touch with her for sometime and her joining it will make the party stronger.
"She has experience in governance and enjoys a credible image.
She is associated with certain values.
She has been a crusader in Government as well as outside it for a long time," he said welcoming her to BJP.
Bedi, in her speech, pitched her leadership credentials and said she knows "how to work and how to make others work.
"I joined BJP due to the inspirational leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Delhi needs a strong, clear headed and stable Government.
We have to make it capital number one in the world," she said.
Bedi thanked Modi, saying the PM's "inspirational leadership" has changed crores of Indians including her.
"I wanted to sacrifice my entire life to social work.
But he inspired me to join political life" .
However, contrary to expectations, there was no announcement from the BJP on whether actor-turned-politician Jaya Prada and former AAP leader Shazia Ilmi will be joining the party.
The party is banking on Jaya Prada's glamour quotient to boost the party's chances, IANS reported, citing unnamed BJP sources.
A former Samajwadi Party leader, Jaya Prada fought the 2014 Lok Sabha election as a Rashtriya Lok Dal candidate from Bijnor, but she lost.
Former AAP legislator Vinod Kumar Binny too is likely to join the saffron party, according to reports.
Meanwhile, another former AAP leader, Farhana, said she will be joining the saffron party within the next three days.
"Now that the BJP is on the path of development, why should we not extend our help too ? We will join the party in the next two to three days," Farhana told ANI.
The BJP is likely to release its first list of candidates for Delhi Assembly polls soon.
The election committee of the BJP will meet in the capital to discuss strategies for its campaign.
The counting of votes in the Delhi elections will take place on February 10.In the last polls in Delhi in 2013, the BJP had bagged 31 seats in addition to one by its ally Shiromani Akali Dal, falling short of a simple majority in the 70-member Assembly.
The AAP had won in 28 seats and Congress got 8 .
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