Enter Kiran Bedi

One of the enduring images of Kiran Bedi is when she pulled a scarf on her head to show how politicians wear masks. This was on August 30, 2011, at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan, where Anna Hazare was on fast. Om Puri and she had abused and ridiculed politicians. It is natural for her political opponents to recall her past acts, statements and tweets, including those against Narendra Modi’s role in the 2002 massacre, now that she has joined the BJP, becoming a politician herself. Omar Abdullah’s tweet is apt: “Note to famous people joining politics — before joining check your Twitter/FB archive and delete all posts critical of (the) party you are joining”.
Being on the other side of the fence, Kiran Bedi will have a lot to answer. Even though the BJP leadership is circumspect, she has already started talking as the future Chief Minister: “I will start working at 9 am sharp and expect my secretaries and officials to begin likewise”. AAP has made it an election issue that the BJP lacks a leader matching Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi. By bringing in Kiran Bedi, the BJP has tried to fend off that criticism and also cash in on her one-time image as a tough cop. She will, no doubt, fill the leadership vacuum in its Delhi unit, but naming her a chief ministerial candidate could fuel infighting. Grumbling in the Delhi BJP has already begun. As pre-poll surveys give AAP the upper hand, the BJP also needed a leader who could take the blame in case of an electoral setback. Being heavily dependent on Prime Minister Modi for a win, the party cannot afford to risk his image in every election.
Another anti-corruption crusader who has displayed similar opportunism is Shazia Ilmi. In one of her tweets she had said: “Hypocrisy, thy name is BJP”. Having lost two consecutive elections, she is now eying a post-poll role. She and Kiran Bedi will definitely energise the BJP campaign. The Delhi electorate will decide whether the two ladies achieve the goals for which they have embraced the former enemy.