AAP to Kiran Bedi: Will you explain your change of heart to Delhi voters please?

The Aam Aadmi Party appears unfazed over the induction of Kiran Bedi – the former comrade of Arvind Kejriwal and in fact, all senior party leaders in the India Against Corruption Movement - in the BJP. Party leaders say she is no threat to either Kejriwal or the AAP and there would be no change in campaign strategy because of her decision. However, the AAP camp has thrown a volley of questions on Bedi’s sudden ‘change of heart’. “Before taking on the AAP, she needs to answer a few questions. Delhi voters would like to hear that,” Ashutosh, spokesperson for the party told Firstpost.

Here are his questions:

1. From the platform of IAC she had openly blamed the BJP for its political ideology and corruption. Now she is all praise for the same party. What prompted her to make this U-turn?
2. Despite lending voice against corruption in Annaji’s IAC movement, how could she join the BJP that shunted the whistleblower and deputy secretary of AIIMS, Sanjiv Chaturvedi, who exposed the corruption in AIIMS?
3. What about getting the Black Money back that the BJP had promised? She too demanded the same in 2013?
4. What about that tweet, where she had asked Narendra Modi to come out clean on Gujarat riot? Bedi, on March 13, 2013, had tweeted: “One day NaMo will need to respond with clarity about riots massacre. Despite courts clearing him so far.”
5. Earlier, during Anna Hazare’s movement, Kiran Bedi ji had claimed that she was a Gandhian. Then how come she joins the BJP, one of whose MPs hails Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse as a patriot?

Whether Bedi contests from the New Delhi seat or from Malviya Nagar; or she is announced as the chief ministerial nominee for the BJP, the AAP sees no threat in this.

“Frankly speaking, neither there is any threat perception nor we’re changing our campaigning strategy. Our strategy is to remain positive. We’re talking about basic issues, the needs of Delhi voters and the work we would like to pursue,” said AAP’s senior leader Pankaj Gupta.

“The Delhi public also views the induction of Ms Bedi as a step from a frustrated party. Earlier, the state BJP leadership was completely against her induction, citing her as an ‘outsider’. Now the central leadership has brought her in fearing loss in the forthcoming election,” added Gupta.

According to the AAP leadership, the party’s Delhi Dialogue – that talks about various issues and segments - has been able to wipe off the trust deficit among Delhi voters.

“Her joining the BJP wouldn’t dent our party’s winning prospects. This was the best option available to the BJP as Kiran Bedi has her own brand equity and she was a part of Anna Andolan, along with Arvindji. However, by launching her, Narendra Modi has astutely moved out from the arena and saved himself from the perceived ‘Modi vs Kejriwal’ contest. Now, if the BJP loses, the onus will be on Bedi and not Modi,” says AAP member Anupam Singh.

AAP spokesperson Atishi Marlena said, “Kiran ji was against party politics during India against corruption movement, she seemed to have changed her point of view…But she is welcome to join politics, she is welcome to join BJP."