Three key contestants and Chief Ministerial aspirants — Ajay Maken of the Congress, Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Kiran Bedi of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — filed their nominations from different Assembly segments for the Delhi election.
Even in its warm-up phase, the campaign for the February 7 poll has stoked controversies as the BJP tried to muffle voices of dissent and protests within the party over naming of the country’s first woman IPS officer Kiran Bedi as its CM candidate, the main challenger AAP putting up crowded road shows and the Congress trying to put up a spirited fight in the electoral arena.
As protests continued at the Delhi BJP headquarters over ticket distribution, Ms. Bedi courted controversy by putting a BJP scarf around freedom fighter Lala Lajpat Rai’s statue on her way to file nominations from Krishna Nagar in East Delhi.
Ms. Bedi’s action drew sharp criticism from the AAP with its convenor Mr. Kejriwal, saying that she should not “saffronise” freedom fighters. Before filing her nomination, Ms. Bedi paid tribute to Lala Lajpat Rai and put a saffron BJP scarf having the party symbol around it. However, she removed it from the statue a few minutes later.
he BJP also sought to put up a united show of strength with bigwigs throwing their weight behind Ms. Bedi who has been dubbed as ‘Iron Lady’ by the BJP. Top leadership of the party responded to the simmering dissidence in the BJP with Home Minister Rajnath Singh, asserting that there was “no crisis” and its cadres stood united.
“If there is any complaint [of the cadre] they talk to their leaders. There is no point in making it an issue. The entire cadre will contribute wholeheartedly in the Delhi polls,” he said.
With Wednesday being the last day for filing nominations, the star candidates were accompanied by party leaders and the usual roadshow of their supporters. Ms. Bedi was accompanied by Vijay Goel, former Delhi BJP chief and Dr. Harsh Vardhan who steered the party in the 2013 Assembly polls in Delhi.
Ms. Bedi, who met tea and newspaper vendors in the area before taking out her roadshow said that contesting from the party’s traditional seat — Krishna Nagar has increased her responsibility.
In Central Delhi’s Jamnagar House, near India Gate, politicians queued up to file nominations with Congress candidate Sharamishta Mukherjee who is President Pranab Mukherjee’s daughter, BJP’s Nupur Sharma and Mr. Kejriwal reaching within minutes of each other. As Mr. Kerjriwal’s roadshow on Tuesday had delayed filing of his nomination, the AAP leader on Wednesday came without much fanfare.
The third CM aspirant, Mr. Maken, a former Union Minister, who filed his nomination from Sadar Bazar seat, attacked his principal political rivals, accusing them of using Anna Hazare to fulfil their political ambitions.
Delhi Elections: Things to know on nomination day
Protests continue for the second day at Delhi BJP headquarters over ticket distribution.
- The day started off with BJP chief ministerial candidate >Kiran Bedi going on a roadshow before filing her nomination from Krishna Nagar Assembly constituency in East Delhi.
-Aam Aadmi Party chief >Arvind Kejriwal filed his nomination from New Delhi Assembly seat. He had failed to do so on Tuesday as he couldn't reach the office of the Returning Officer on time.
-Kiran Bedi sparked controversy by draping a BJP scarf on the statue of freedom fighter Lala Lajpat Rai in Krishna Nagar. Kejriwal hit back, saying the BJP should not 'saffronise' freedom fighters.
-Congress leader >Ajay Maken files nomination from Sadar Bazar constituency. He labelled Kejriwall, Kiran Bedi and Krishna Tirath "opportunists".
- Kiran Bedi >described the RSS as a "nationalist" organisation that had kept India united.
