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The Bharatiya Janata Party’s chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi, who has been accused of being “dictatorial”, seemed to make an all-out effort on Thursday morning to change that image in time for the Delhi assembly elections to be held on Saturday.
Bedi talked about her love for the city before she set off for her first road show on the final day of campaigning.
“I love Delhi,” said Delhi’s chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi.
“I love to kiss little children,” 65-year-old former top cop.
“I have come here as a mother. I promise to sleep less if that benefits the city,” she added.
Rejecting the “dictator” tag rendered unto her by political rivals, and reportedly by many in her own party, Bedi said, “Decision makers can be called by different terms. I always stand by those who do the right thing and will continue to do so.”
On Wednesday, Bedi broke down while campaigning in Krishna Nagar, the east Delhi constituency from where she is contesting her first ever election.
Moved by people bringing her flasks filled with tea, she dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief as she said, “This is the love of the people and I don't have words for the kind of love I am getting.”
Many were surprised by the new Bedi, who has always courted the image of a tough ex-cop, brisk and businesslike. In the campaign so far, she had focused on crisp promises of service delivery and detailed blueprints for Delhi.
Her political debut has not been easy. She joined the BJP only last month and was immediately elevated as the party's chief ministerial candidate, much to the consternation of the senior leadership of the party.
Image: BJP’s Kiran Bedi interacts with women supporters on her campaign trail in Delhi on Tuesday. Photograph: PTI photo