NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday claimed that Bharatiya Janata Party had finalised its chief ministerial face for Delhi assembly elections.
Citing his sources, Kejriwal said that the saffron party had decided to go with Ramesh Bidhuri as its CM face and said that the party would officially announce the name “in a day or two.”
He also invited Bidhuri to a public debate, urging him to present his vision and roadmap for Delhi. “There must be a public debate between BJP’s CM candidate and other parties including us. He must explain what he has done for the capital in past 10 years. Public should know their vision for Delhi, what they have done for Delhi and what is their roadmap for the city’s progress,” he said.
Meanwhile, home minister and BJP leader Amit Shah reacted to Kejriwal’s “tactics” and asked if the AAP leader was authorized to make such an announcement. “Today, Kejriwal announced BJP’s CM face. Can Kejriwal announce BJP’s CM face? Should Kejriwal announce BJP’s CM face?” Shah questioned during an address at ‘Jhuggi Basti Pradhan Sammelan’ in the national capital.
LIVE: HM Shri Amit Shah addresses “Jhuggi Basti Pradhan Sammelan” in JLN Stadium, New Delhi
‘Who is AAP’s CM face’, asks BJP; Kejriwal responds
Kejriwal clarified that his party had unanimously decided long time back that he would be the CM face.
“I have been the CM face of my party, since beginning. Why the BJP has not announced it yet,” he asked.
His comments came after BJP leader Anurag Thakur questioned if there were “any honest face” in AAP to become the CM face. Thakur was criticising the Delhi government over CAG report.
“A big question before the people of Delhi is who is AAP’s (CM) face. CM Atishi does not even accept herself as a CM. Is there any honest face in their party? They need to answer why the CAG report was not tabled,” he had said earlier in the day.
The BJP leaders later clarified that the CM face would be decided party’s leadership and announced at the “right time.”
“…Why is Arvind Kejriwal worried about who will be the Chief Minister of BJP? BJP is a worker-based party and our leadership will announce the Chief Minister at the right time but one thing is certain that Arvind Kejriwal has understood that BJP government is coming to power in Delhi,” BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal said.
“… BJP will declare its chief ministerial candidate… The people of Delhi have understood these tactics very well. The people of Delhi will elect BJP and make BJP’s chief minister…,” BJP MP Manoj Tiwari said.
