Delhi polls 2015: An acerbic campaign where no one was spared

Prime Minister Narendra Modi set the tone for the election battle by making a veiled reference to Arvind Kejriwal as an "anarchist" in the first BJP rally at Ramlila Maidan.

"We need development here, not anarchy. They are good at dharnas. We are good at running government," the Prime Minister said

After Kiran Bedi decided to make her political debut by joining the BJP, Congress came down hard on her terming it as "gross political opportunism".

Arvind Kejriwal welcomed his former comrades-in-arms with a politically correct tweet saying "I have been fond of Kiran Bediji. I always tried to convince her that she should join politics. I am happy she did it today".

However, the AAP niceties disappeared as soon as Shazia Ilmi followed Bedi and the verbal slugfest broke loose.

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BJP releases vision document for assembly polls, promises to make Delhi a world class city

However, the document did not spell out BJP's position on full statehood to the national capital which it had promised in its manifestos for the 2013 assembly polls and past elections.

The Vision Document, which came in place of the manifesto, promises to address shortage of water, ensure round-the-clock power supply, proving houses to slum dwellers and making the administration responsive and people-friendly.

"We will make Delhi a world-class city. We will ensure development of all sections. Women security will be a priority area for us," BJP's Chief Ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi said releasing the document along with host of senior leaders.

Senior leaders Nirmala Sitharaman, Ananth Kumar, Harsh Vardhan, party's Delhi unit Chief Satish Upadhyay were present on the occasion.

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Kiran Bedi Missing From Posters as BJP's Big Guns Campaign for Delhi Polls

The BJP's chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi is missing from posters and some election speeches as the party changes the pitch of its campaign in Delhi dramatically. With seven days to go for polling, party president and chief strategist Amit Shah has deployed the BJP's biggest guns to take on Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party.

Many BJP posters in Delhi constituencies now feature only Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr Shah and the local party candidate.

While Ms Bedi - who joined the party just days ago and was immediately announced presumptive CM - continued to criss-cross Delhi with her roadshows, the party's focused attack on her main rival Arvind Kejriwal is being fronted by senior party leaders.

Two central ministers posed a second installment of five questions to Mr Kejriwal.

Tomorrow, PM Modi will address a rally at CBD Ground in East Delhi. Today, Mr Shah spoke at a rally in Janakpuri and made not a mention of Kiran Bedi. Union minister Smriti Irani addressed another rally and she too did not mention Ms Bedi.

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Kiran Bedi proposes engagement of youth for development

Bedi on Thursday tweeted an elaborate 25 point programme for women security including preventive measures, corrective actions and regular reviews, today tweeted a 15 point program for engagement with youth and their development.
  
Terming the youth of Delhi as an integral part of her agenda, Bedi sought to increase the involvement of youth in governance through education, training and leadership programmes.
  
In her 15 point program, Bedi tweeted about optimum utilisation of sports stadiums and facilities and has even promised a singular channel for all regulatory permissions for cultural and sports events.
  
“Enable access for youth orgs to sports & other govt facilities: optimum utilization of stadiums & sports facilities.”
  
"A simplified single window clearance 4all regulatory permissions 2promote increase in cultural &sports events for youth," she tweeted.
  
Bedi who has been promising to bring back civil defence volunteers in her electioneering campaign, reached out to the younger crowd by hoping to pull them in community service programs.

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Delhi polls: Kejriwal alleges conspiracy to defame candidates, to move Election Commission

Terming it as a "desperate attempt" by the opposition, the AAP chief claimed that such attempts were made in the past as well.

"Last yr, farzi (fake) stings were shown against 6 of our candidates a few days before elections to defame us (sic)," Kejriwal said in a series of tweets.

He expressed apprehension that "similar conspiracies" are being planned to malign the party before the upcoming elections.  

"A senior leader, famous 4 planting stories, has hatched conspiracy against some AAP candidates n they will plant farzi stories in media (sic)," he said.

Kejriwal also said the party was lodging a complaint with the Election Commission over the issue. "But Delhiites won't believe it. They know this is last desperate attempt of our opponents who r losing badly...We are making a complaint to EC also," he tweeted.

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Delhi polls: Bedi sends legal notice to Kejriwal for using her photograph in AAP posters

"Yes, she has sent a notice to Kejriwal. He has been asked to ensure that the posters are removed," BJP's media convener Praveen Shankar Kapoor said.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has recently put up posters on numerous auto-rickshaws plying in the national capital, asking the people of Delhi to choose between Kejriwal and Bedi for the post of chief minister.

In the posters, the picture of Kejriwal has the word "imandar" (honest) printed below it while that of Bedi has "avsarvadi" (opportunist). Earlier, fellow party leader Jagdish Mukhi, too, had sent a notice to Kejriwal for using his photograph in similar posters, before the BJP declared Bedi as their chief ministerial candidate.

The AAP pitted Kejriwal against Mukhi, even though the BJP had said that they would contest the Delhi election under Prime Minister Narendra Modi without naming a CM candidate the BJP, however, later named Bedi for the post after she joined the party earlier this month.

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Bedi as CM candidate a 'masterstroke' by BJP: Shanti Bhushan

The AAP, however, claimed that Bhushan's remarks showed there was "inner democracy" in the party and said the views expressed by him were "personal".

Bhushan, a senior Supreme Court lawyer, also said that if Bedi becomes the Chief Minister, Anna Hazare would be very happy and termed her role in the Hazare-led anti-corruption movement as "influential".

"Kiran Bedi's joining BJP is a masterstroke of BJP. I feel to bring her into the party    and making her the CM nominee was a masterstroke because Bedi in Anna's movement was with (Arvind) Kejriwal and Prashant (Bhushan) and her contribution there was influential as a crusader of corruption," Bhushan said.

Asked about his remarks, Kiran Bedi simply thanked Bhushan and refused to comment further.

Bhushan also called for a "reorientation" within AAP saying all was not well in the party and it was not being run following its founding principles.

"Reorientation within AAP is very much needed. Their stress must be on reforming political system, improving political standards. I think everything is not right in the party and it is not being run on lines it was expected to run or what it was established for," he said.

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After Kiran Bedi, Shazia Ilmi officially joins BJP

Earlier in the Friday morning, Shazia Ilmi met BJP president Amit Shah at his residence here and said she will soon be joining the party.

During her meeting with Shah, Shazia was accompanied by BJP general secretary (organisation) Ram Lal and Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhayay, among others.

"I had a very good meeting with Amit bhai and he welcomed me in the party. I will be joining the party soon," she said after the meeting.

Her meeting comes a day after former Team Anna member Kiran Bedi joined BJP. Shazia had earlier said that she will "expose" AAP. The BJP will use the two former associates of AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal against him in the elections.

While Bedi is a former founder member of Team Anna, Shazia unsuccessfully contested on the AAP tickets in last Delhi Assembly polls and Parliamentary polls. She later quit AAP.

Elections to Delhi Assembly are slated for February 7 and results will be out on February 10.

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Will fight against Kejriwal, if party wants: BJP leader Kiran Bedi

She rebutted AAP's criticism over changing her stand on not joining politics, saying she was free to make her own choices and her "aversion" was gone due to Modi's leadership.

"The constituency selection is always a decision of party. I will go by their decision. If they want me to fight against him, I will do so. Because they know better than I do. They haven't brought me to lose, they have brought me to win," the former IPS officer said when asked whether she is likely to be pitted against Kejriwal in the upcoming polls.

The AAP had yesterday termed her joining BJP as "shocking".

"It is sad and shocking that Bedi who had been maintaining that she will always remain apolitical and keep raising the issues of people has joined the BJP. Our best wishes are with her," party leader Sanjay Singh had said. AAP Chief Arvind Kejriwal had also taken a subtle dig at Bedi saying that he had also tried to convince her to take a plunge into politics.

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