20.1.15

BJP's Delhi CM pick: Kiran Bedi


Putting all speculations to rest and stamping out any threat of dissent in the party , BJP party chief Amit Shah, at a late-night press conference, named former IPS officer Kiran Bedi as the party's CM candidate.
Her dramatic induction four days back and elevation to the leadership role has given the state BJP a credible and attractive face though it may have left the veterans in the party feeling sidelined and disappointed. Ironically , the battlelines are drawn between two leaders of the India Against Corruption movement -Bedi and Arvind Kejriwal of AAP .
The former police officer turned-activist, a leading light of the Anna Hazare movement and a colleague of Kejriwal, has become a saffron mascot now, and Shah said the Delhi BJP was united under her leadership. He rubbished rumours of infighting and said, “These are baseless reports. “ But she won't be taking on Kejriwal directly and will contest from the relatively safe seat of Krishna Nagar constituency , a pocketborough of science and technology minister Harsh Vardhan for nearly 15 years. Vardhan was the party's CM candidate last time.
Bedi will contest against AAP candidate S K Bagga, a former Congress member who joined AAP before the Lok Sabha polls. Congress has fielded Bansi Lal, an old party worker.
The BJP also released its first list of 62 candidates for the February 7 polls for the 70-member assembly . While its state chief Satish Upadhyay will not contest, former Congress minister Krishna Tirath, who joined the party on Monday , has been given the Patel Nagar seat.



No comments: