NEW DELHI, Jan 19: Brushing aside murmurs of dissent, BJP today named new entrant Kiran Bedi, a former IPS officer, as its Chief Ministerial candidate for the February seven Delhi Assembly elections.
Making the announcement after a meeting of the BJP Parliamentary Board, party president Amit Shah said the decision of fielding 65-year-old Bedi was “unanimous”.
He said BJP will contest the crucial polls for the 70-member Assembly under Bedi’s leadership.
She will contest from the Krishna Nagar seat in East Delhi, considered a BJP stronghold.
The Parliamentary Board meeting was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj among others.
Bedi, who joined the BJP on Friday, thanked the party forreposing faith in her. “I had already expressed my readiness to contest from any seat. The entire Delhi is close to my heart. We will develop a good Delhi,” she said.
Asked about voices of dissent over Bedi spearheading the party’s poll campaign in the national capital, Shah said there was no resentment and everone was working as one team to ensure BJP’s victory.
BJP’s Delhi leaders including Jagdish Mukhi had earlier expressed reservation over Bedi being inducted without them being consulted while another leader Manoj Tewari too had made known his discontent but both leaders later toed the party line.
Shah said BJP will contest the Delhi elections with its ally Shiromani Akali Dal.
Earlier, Bedi described BJP as an “amazing and organised” party while dismissing as “exaggerated” reports of brewing resentment within it over her being projected as the party’s CM candidate.
Bedi, who was the country’s first woman IPS officer, claimed BJP workers are happy and united over her induction in the party and likened the comments against her to as differing voices in a family.
“It’s all exaggerated. I am an insider now. They (party workers) are very happy. They are very united. You can have a voice even in a family here and there. Party workers are happy, enthused and united,” she said.
Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal and BJP’s Kiran Bedi are pitted in a tough battle for the Chief Minister’s post in Delhi, according to a poll conducted by a news channel.
Kejriwal continues to be the most preferred chief ministerial candidate with 47 per cent, while Bedi, who joined BJP recently, is set to give a stiff competition as she managed the support of 44 per cent of the respondents, according to a ‘snap poll’ conducted by ABP News-Nielsen.
Amongst women respondents, Kejriwal is more popular with about 50 per cent of them backing him, whereas Bedi got 41.4 per cent support.
According to the poll, around 44 per cent felt that Bedi should have joined Aam Aadmi Party, while 33 per cent felt she did the right thing joining BJP and 23 per cent thought it does not matter which party she joins.
The snap poll was conducted among 1,489 respondents from January 17 to January 19 in Delhi.
An opinion poll carried out between January 11 and 15 by News Nation channel suggested a hung assembly again in Delhi with no party getting an absolute majority.
As per the opinion poll, BJP and AAP are neck and neck on the number of seats they would win, with AAP having an upper edge with 31-35 seats whereas BJP with 29-33 seats, comes close second.
The opinion poll suggested AAP, due to its intense campaigning and populist issues, has an upper hand and is most likely to get 38 per cent vote share followed by BJP with 37 per cent.
Despite the close contest, Kejriwal continues to be the top choice for Chief Minister’s post with 40 per cent respondents supporting his candidature. 38 per cent Delhiites feel that BJP can give a stable Government. (PTI)
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