Kiran Bedi’s BJP induction: Not ‘much consultation’ with state unit, says Jagdish Mukhi

Mukhi, who is considered one of the BJP’s chief minister aspirants and was even lampooned in AAP posters as such, also emphasised that no decision had been taken on who would lead the government should the party win the polls.

Asked if Bedi’s induction had left older and senior party leaders disappointed, Mukhi said, “I do not know about others but I can talk about myself. I am a soldier of the RSS, I work for a cause, for a mission. If the leadership feels it (induction of Bedi) serves their purpose better, so be it. Your question presupposes that she will be declared CM candidate, but that has not happened yet. It is possible she is designated campaign committee chief as Mr (Ajay) Maken has been for the Congress.”

Other senior BJP leaders from Delhi refused to speak about Bedi’s induction on record. While insisting he was “not disappointed” by the projection of the former IPS officer and Team Anna member as the face of the saffron party face in Delhi, one senior leader said he would not say much on record for fear of “sending out a wrong signal”. He also admitted that while he would campaign, he was avoiding detailed media interviews so as to not have to face the Bedi question.

Other senior leaders question in private the urgency to change the party’s CM face from Dr Harsh Vardhan, a Delhi politician for several decades and now a Union minister who led the party’s charge in the December 2013 polls.

Sources in the state unit also expressed surprise at the projection of Bedi’s administrative acumen since her induction, seen as a signal that she was being considered as possible CM.

Some senior leaders said following the Haryana model of not projecting a CM face may have worked just as well here, especially because the move to project an “outsider” could end up upsetting the grassroots party worker.

“Our election plan is heavily dependent on keeping the worker motivated. That will obviously flow from the top. There are leaders who have spent years on the opposition benches of the Delhi Assembly. If they now feel sidelined in their own party, won’t some of that percolate down to the worker as well?” said a senior BJP leader.

Rajnath Singh said Sunday that no decision had been taken on a CM candidate for Delhi polls and the BJP parliamentary board would take the final call.