Kiran Bedi joins BJP, says Delhi needs stable government

New Delhi: Former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Kiran Bedi joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday.

Bedi, India's first female IPS officer, was a member of Team Anna, a core group of activists who worked closely with Anna Hazare when he launched his campaign to demand a bill to appoint a lokpal against corruption.

I am inspired by PM Modi, says Bedi. Kiran Bedi begins addressing the conference, thanks Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah.

The decision if she will be named as BJP's Delhi CM candidate will be taken by party's parliamentary board and will be announced at the right time, says Shah.

Amit Shah, talking to reporters, says Bedi will contest polls. He, however, refused to divulge details of the constituency from which she will fight.
Not just Delhi, the whole country is familiar with Kiran Bedi. She has an image of credibility says Arun Jaitley.

BJP has had a tradition of inducting experienced and honest people into the party.

The presence of Kiran Bedi in BJP will strengthen the party, says Shah. I welcome Kiran Bedi on behalf of the party.

BJP president Amit Shah presents a bouquet of flowers to Bedi. The speaker at the conference says Bedi is beginning new innings in politics.

Besides Amit Shah and Kiran Bedi, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Union Minister of Science and Technology Dr Harsh Vardhan, Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay, BJP leader Vijay Goel are present at the press conference.

According to reports, Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay will address a separate press conference at 5 pm. Former AAP members like Shazia Ilmi and Farhana will be joining the BJP in the presence of Upadhyay.
Former IPS officer Kiran Bedi and Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah reach BJP office.

Meanwhile, Arvind Kejriwal, who too was a member of the team, had a fall out with Hazare over his decision to launch a political party. Bedi has since been anti-Kejriwal.

Actor-turned-politician Jaya Prada is also likely to join the BJP and may be fielded against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Kejriwal in the upcoming Delhi assembly election, reports said on Thursday.

The party is banking on the actor's glamour quotient to win the New Delhi seat won by Kejriwal in 2013 after defeating three-time chief minister Sheila Dikshit, reported citing unnamed BJP sources.

A former Samajwadi Party leader, Jaya Prada fought the 2014 Lok Sabha election as a Rashtriya Lok Dal candidate from Bijnor but lost.

Former AAP legislator Vinod Kumar Binny and former AAP leader Shazia Ilmi too are likely to join the saffron party.

Another former AAP leader Farhana said she will be joining the saffron party within the next three days.

"Now that the BJP is on the path of development, why should we not extend our help too? We will join the party in the next two to three days," Farhana told ANI.

The BJP is likely to release its first list of candidates for Delhi assembly polls on Thursday. The election committee of the BJP will meet in the capital to discuss strategies for its campaign.

Polling in Delhi will be held on February 7 and the counting of votes will take place on February 10.

In the last polls in Delhi in 2013, the BJP had bagged 31 seats in addition to one by its ally Shiromani Akali Dal, falling short of a simple majority in the 70-member assembly. The AAP had won in 28 seats and Congress got 8.