Delhi polls: Former IPS officer Kiran Bedi joins BJP, will party pit her against Kejriwal?

New Delhi, Jan 15: Ahead of Delhi assembly elections, anti-graft crusader and social activist Kiran Bedi was on Thursday inducted into the Bhartiya Janata Party at a function held at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi. This happened in the presence of party president Amit Shah, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and many other party leaders.

Bedi dialed the party's toll free number which was launched by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Welcoming Bedi into the party, BJP chief Amit Shah said, "I welcome her on behalf of the party and I believe that her joining the party will strengthen the Delhi unit especially ahead of the polls."

Shah also made it clear that Bedi would contest in these elections but did not make it clear if she will be the CM candidate for the party and said, "Leave it to the parliamentary board, let them decide who will be the CM."

Speculations have been rife since last year that BJP would field the former IPS officer as as its chief ministerial candidate in Delhi.

After being inducted into the BJP, Kiran Bedi said, "With our team work, we will work towards a steady, stable, strong and corruption-free government."

"I am in Mission Mode, Bedi further said.

In May 2014, Bedi had tweeted and said that she is ready to be BJP's chief ministerial candidate for Delhi.

"I will consider myself to be ready for it if such an offer is made," Bedi had said.

When she was asked if she would be the candidate if fresh elections were announced, she tweeted and said, "The people of Delhi need a Gujarat model.

If they ask me then will accept it, had refused earlier when they asked, but now will accept the offer."

After proving its mettle in the Haryana and Maharashtra assembly elections, BJP is now all set for the Delhi election. Even poll projections have predicted that party will get clear mandate leaving rookie Aam aadmi party and Congress behind.

The saffron party doesn't have a credible face in Delhi. In the past, even Opposition parties trained their guns on the BJP saying that devoid of Narendra Modi, party can't do anything in the Delhi election.

Bedi, who was part of core team of Anna Hazare during his agitation for a strong Lokpal legislation, has openly been hailing Modi's leadership. She had also praised Modi's big initiative of Swachh Bharat campaign.

OneIndia News