New Delhi: After facing a rout in the Assembly polls on Tuesday, BJP chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi embarrassed the party further by saying, “I did not lose the election, the BJP did.” She also appeared to point a finger of blame at senior party leader Harsh Vardhan, claiming that no work was done in Krishna Nagar constituency, and that it would have taken her three months just to remove “kachra” (garbage) from the area.
The BJP was also put in a tight spot as she added, “it was historic that the BJP did not take any money from me for giving me a ticket and (for) nominating me as CM candidate”. A crestfallen Ms Bedi, who suffered a shock defeat at the hands of AAP’s S.K. Bagga (by 2,277 votes) in Krishna Nagar, a party stronghold, sought forgiveness from the BJP and its workers for not living up to their expectations.
“I got the respect and confidence of top leaders, including Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, as well as ordinary party workers. But, I ask for their forgiveness as I failed to carry that confidence and responsibility,” she said on her party’s massive defeat. Denying that the result was a referendum on the Narendra Modi government, she said, “The Prime Minister (Modi) was not the chief ministerial candidate.”
Ms Bedi made it clear it was not her loss, but the party’s loss. “The party should introspect,” she said while addressing a press conference after the BJP was decimated in the elections. The former IPS officer goofed up at the press conference as she claimed the party, at least, had not asked her for money before making her the CM candidate.
“I am thankful to the party that they did not ask me for money before projecting me as CM candidate,” said Ms Bedi in what was seen as a huge embarrassment for the BJP.
Ms Bedi strongly defended Narendra Modi and said he couldn’t be blamed for the defeat as it was she who was CM candidate and not Mr Modi. Asked if her defeat from Krishna Nagar meant that the BJP cadre had not supported her, Ms Bedi replied in the negative.
“It’s wrong to say that the party cadres did not support me. I got their full support,” she said. “Either I win or lose. It does not matter to me. I will always be thankful to my party workers, who have supported me throughout this campaign,” Ms Bedi said.
