Kiran Bedi Joins BJP, Followed by Former AAP Leaders Shazia Ilmi and Vinod Kumar Binny
Updated: January 19, 2015 00:19 IST
The high profile entry of former IPS officer Kiran Bedi into the BJP has sparked speculation that she might be named the party's Chief Ministerial candiate. Other notable faces to have joined the BJP with the elections around the corner are former AAP leader Shazia Ilmi and Vinod Kumar Binny.
With the Delhi Assembly elections around the corner, the BJP saw a high profile entrant - former IPS officer Kiran Bedi - who joined the party after a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 15.
Ms Bedi's entry into the party is being seen as a coup for party president Amit Shah.
Ms Bedi's decision to join the BJP came under attack from her former comrade-at-arms, AAP's Arvind Kejriwal, who retweeted her old posts on Twitter, in which he questioned then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
The fanfare surrounding Ms Bedi's entry into the party has given rise to speculation that she could be projected as the BJP's Chief Ministerial candidate, over a number of party seniors.
Sources have said Ms Bedi is moving into the office previously occupied by the BJP's previous Chief Ministerial candidate and present Union Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan.
Ms Bedi's entry into the BJP has however upset anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare, who sources have said has not been taken her calls as she had not cnsulted him earlier.
A day after Ms Bedi, former AAP leader Shazia Ilmi too joined the BJP.
Ms Ilmi, a journalist, however said she did not have any intentions of fighting the elections.
Another notable former AAP member to join the BJP was Vinod Kumar Binny, who had won on an AAP ticket from Laxmi Nagar in the previous election.
