All in a week: From Kiran Bedi to Krishna Tirath, high profile names flock to BJP

So what’s cool or trendy in India’s latest political panorama? The answer is a no brainer. Clearly, it’s joining the BJP! Soon after the Election Commission announced 7 February as the polling date for the National Capital, the BJP lotus in Delhi has turned out to attract many ‘bees’ – either with political lineage or not. Here are a few of the big shots who have decided to shift their allegiance to the BJP in the last week: Kiran Bedi   [caption id=“attachment_2053257” align=“aligncenter” width=“620”]  BJP leader Kiran Bedi. AFP[/caption] India’s first woman Indian Police Officer, Kiran Bedi already had her claim to fame where she rose to the rank of Director General of police. But her recent time in the spotlight came while she was part of the India Against Corruption movement, that campaigned for an anti-corruption bill. Bedi, along with Kejriwal was one of the more high profile figures of the movement, resolutely standing behind Anna Hazare during his famous hunger strike in August 2011. Once the movement petered out, she refused to join her former colleague Arvind Kejriwal, when he formed the Aam Aadmi Party. In fact she along with Anna Hazare, painted it as a betrayal of the ideals that they fought for during the anti-corruption movement. Despite this however,  Bedi always publicly expressed her support for the BJP. She publicly supported Narendra Modi for prime minister in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and also indirectly advocated the BJP during the 2013 Delhi assembly polls. On 15 January this year, she officially joined the party and is widely expected to be projected as the chief ministerial face of the party in Delhi.   Shazia Ilmi   [caption id=“attachment_2053259” align=“aligncenter” width=“620”]  BJP leader Shazia Ilmi. AFP[/caption] Former TV journalist and news anchor Shazia Ilmi, was one of the most prominent faces of of the Aam Aadmi Party. In fact on an official AAP game just ahead of the 2013 Delhi assembly polls, Ilmi was one of the two main characters that players could choose, to fight for the rights of the aam aadmi. Ilmi fought the Delhi Assembly poll in 2013 and 2014 Lok Sabha election as a AAP candidate only to lose on both the occasions. Soon after, her relationship with the AAP top brass turned bitter and she left the party on 24 May last year. Ilmi joined the BJP on 16 January this year. It is however not clear so far if she plans to contest the forthcoming Delhi Assembly election. Vinod Kumar Binny   [caption id=“attachment_2053275” align=“aligncenter” width=“620”]  Delhi BJP President Satish Upadhyaya welcomes former Aam Aadmi Party MLA Vinod Kumar Binny and other party leaders who joined BJP at party’s Delhi office in New Delhi on Sunday. PTI[/caption] This former AAP MLA was probably the first elected member who openly dissented against Arvind Kejriwal sending shock waves in the newly formed party. Binny joined AAP in 2013 but was unhappy with the outcome of a party decision on its cabinet, soon after the results of the Delhi assembly election. He became too hot to handle for AAP and was ultimately shown the door in January last year. Binny joined BJP on 17 January this year and may fight the polls from Patparganj against another AAP big gun, Manish Sisodia.   Krishna Tirath [caption id=“attachment_2053283” align=“aligncenter” width=“620”]  BJP leader Krishna Tirath. Image courtesy PIB[/caption] The quietness with which Krishna Tirath joined the BJP today (19 January 2015) even took the Congress by surprise. A dalit leader and the former Union women child and development minister in the UPA cabinet, she may contest in the upcoming Assembly poll. However, until the list is officially out nothing can be confirmed yet.