Delhi elections: Manoj Tiwari welcomes Kiran Bedi after being pulled up by BJP top brass

Tiwari had said that there was no decision on Kiran Bedi being projected as the CM candidate.

The BJP top brass on Monday pulled up MP Manoj Tiwari for speaking against Kiran Bedi who recently joined the party and is being seen as its chief ministerial candidate in the coming Delhi assembly elections.

Manoj Tiwari had earlier said that Kiran Bedi has joined the BJP only as a party worker and there was no decision on her being projected as the CM candidate.

However, after being pulled up by the top brass, Tiwari toned down his voice of dissent. “All these reports are completely wrong, we are very happy that Kiran ji has joined BJP, we welcome her,” said Manoj Tiwari.

All these reports are completely wrong, we are very happy that Kiran ji has joined BJP, we welcome her: Manoj Tiwari pic.twitter.com/YXfp3n9FHr

— ANI (@ANI_news) January 19, 2015

Sources in the party said a number of senior Delhi BJP leaders were also not happy over the way Bedi has been projecting herself as the chief ministerial choice just four days after her induction into the party.

“She has joined the party. She is like a party worker and she should be taken that way, ” Tiwari had told reporters.

He had earlier said a ‘thanedaar’ or policeman was not welcome but later clarified that the remarks were not aimed at Bedi.

Another senior Delhi BJP leader Jagdish Mukhi, who is known to have chief ministerial ambition, said a decision on whether to project a candidate for the top post or announce the name after the polls will be taken by the leadership.

“BJP’s central leadership always takes the decision. It is in their purview to decided who shall be the chief minister candidate or whether the party will have a CM face or not,” he said when asked about the issue.

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The MP said the party leadership will take a call on the chief ministerial candidate and that Bedi was not BJP’s candidate for the post for now.

“The strategy of the party in elections in Haryana, Jharkhand and Maharashtra has been that the country has chosen Modi ji for five years and expectations of people will only be fulfilled if the same party rules in Centre as well as in states,” he said, adding “Chalo chalein Modi ke sath” would be the best option for the party.

Sources said a number of Delhi BJP leaders were unhappy over the way Bedi has been projecting herself as BJP’s CM candidate since she was inducted into the party on Thursday.

They said a number of party MPs were also upset the way Bedi asked them to join her for tea yesterday to discuss the party’s election strategy.

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