For former police officer Kiran Bedi, who emerged as something of an icon early in life for being the first woman IPS officer in the country and may still retain some of her crusading image despite getting into needless controversies in later years, being projected as the BJP’s chief minister aspirant for Delhi may be the best thing that may have happened in a long time. But what of the ruling party itself?
It is hard to recall any instance, in India or any democratic set-up at all, where a rank outsider is projected to be the next leader of government by a leading political party, especially one which happens to be in power at the national level and in several states. True, Ms Bedi’s name has not officially been announced as BJP’s CM candidate. Party leaders can take shelter behind that fig leaf if asked questions by RSS supremo Mohan Bhagwat, who reportedly doesn’t favour the idea. However, the situation hardly admits of any other interpretation.
While the former senior police officer has for many years — even when she was part of the Anna Hazare-led India Against Corruption movement — hinted at her softness for the saffron party, she was careful not to “out” herself. Now she has — barely three weeks before the election to the Delhi Assembly is due. And what a “homecoming”! She was first invited to meet influential BJP leader and finance minister Arun Jaitley and party president Amit Shah, and then taken by the latter to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The lady herself is taking care to act and sound chief-ministerial.
This is causing heartburn among the party’s top rung in Delhi, and has surprised the rank and file. The BJP is a cadre party. Its top shots come from RSS ranks. The recent choice of CMs in other states has been limited to those from the RSS. But it is for the party to handle, if there is a negative fallout to Ms Bedi’s projection as CM. However, if we look at the recent electoral record of the party, one thing suggests itself — that its vastly improved performance in state after state and spectacular win in Haryana have come in the name of the Prime Minister.
Mr Modi’s strong campaign pitch — that voters will be making him strong if they vote his party in the states — made the difference. In the case of Delhi, this is the proposition that is now being put to doubt, although Mr Modi’s charisma is said to be urban-based rather than rural. If Mr Modi was doing the heavy lifting, why ignore party leaders and import a figure from outside, is the question. In recent years, the Delhi election is watched nationwide because voters are from all states.
