(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) A day after former police officer Kiran Bedi formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party it was the turn of Ilmi who broke ranks some time ago with Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal.
New Delhi: Former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Shazia Ilmi Friday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) “for the rest of my life” after lavishing praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
A day after former police officer Kiran Bedi formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party it was the turn of Ilmi who broke ranks some time ago with Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal.
“There is indeed a new political discourse in the country and we must all be a part of it” the journalist-turned-politician told the media in the company of Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhyay.
She admitted she had had differences with the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress in the past. “But in the last six months I have realised that the prime minister is doing a good job. The way he invoked Mahatma Gandhi’s name for the Swacch Bharat (Clean India) campaign is very impressive” she said.
Ilmi had contested — and narrowly lost — the December 2013 assembly elections on AAP ticket.
Once close to Kejriwal Ilmi was reportedly unhappy that the AAP fielded her in the Lok Sabha elections of 2014 from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh where she finished a distant fifth.
Ilmi earlier called on BJP president Amit Shah. She said she expected “nothing” from the BJP.
“You can ask Amit Bhai and others. I have not asked for anything” she said. “It is an opportunity to serve my city and nation.”
Ilmi further said that it was her decision to not fight the election and she hoped that the party will respect that. “However I am ready to take up any responsibility that the party gives me” she added.
Along with Ilmi music director Anand Raaj Anand too joined the party.
Meanwhile former Indian Police Service officer Kiran Bedi who on Thursday joined the BJP is likely to head the party’s campaign in the national capital ahead of the February 7 assembly polls party sources said. According to the source the decision will be taken in the January 19 meeting of the party’s parliamentary board. The party is also hunting for a “safe seat” for Bedi from where she can win comfortably.
Bedi has reportedly expressed her desire to fight from Malviya Nagar constituency in south Delhi but state unit chief Satish Upadhyay too has his eyes set on the same seat.
A day after joining BJP Kiran Bedi on Friday said she was ready to contest against Arvind Kejriwal AAP chief and her former Team Anna colleague in the Delhi Assembly polls if her party wants.
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.
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