Barack Obama visit and Kejriwal’s Republic Day non-invite shroud Delhi polls

“Obama came today and the entire nation is flying. India is appearing to be a number one country,” she said with a beaming smile.

For the BJP, attempts to score political brownie points over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign diplomacy manuevres is only natural. Ahead of the Obama visit, jokes had already started on social media that Obama should not be allowed to go near BJP president Amit Shah, lest the latter inducts Obama into the party. But how Obama figures in Delhi’s local political scenario is beyond anyone, including me.

On her part, Bedi clarified to a television reporter that she was only speaking her mind as a citizen.

But she was not alone.

AAP leader Kumar Vishwas alleged that the BJP was trying to politicise the Obama visit and that Rajiv Babbar, the BJP’s Tilak Nagar candidate, had put up posters of Modi and Obama embracing each other in his constituency.

Another issue that dominated the discourse in Delhi elections was the allegation that Arvind Kejriwal, chief of the AAP, made that he was not invited to the Republic Day parade in spite of him being a former chief minister. The allegation of ‘politicising’ a national event was aimed at the BJP and the Centre.

Kiran Bedi is invited/given front row.Arvind was not even extended invitation for Republic day parade. Politics even this pious day?Shame

— ashutosh (@ashutosh83B) January 26, 2015

A denial of invitation to the AAP leader was in visible contrast to pictures of Bedi among the audience at the parade.

Bedi even went a step further to tell a television reporter that Kejriwal should join the BJP if he is hurt at not being invited.

Whether she meant it in a lighter vein is still not clear but it is explicit that the discourse has strengthened an already aggressive campaign between the two parties in the upcoming elections.