BJP's 'masterstroke' of bringing Bedi boomerangs

She failed to draw crowds and her campaign suffered due to lack of support from Delhi BJP leaders

It was seen as a masterstroke when she was anointed as BJP's Chief Ministerial candidate just three weeks ahead of the assembly polls to counter AAP's Arvind Kejriwal but India's first woman IPS officer Kiran Bedi failed to change the party's fortune and now herself stares at an uncertain political future.

Sixty-five-year-old Bedi, who had caught people's imagination as a young police officer here in 1980s and was a key member of the Team Anna during the Lokpal movement, had a poll campaign where all BJP top brass including Prime Minister Narendra Modi canvassed for her.

However, Bedi failed to draw crowds at her rallies and her campaign looked lacklustre largely due to alleged lack of cooperation from the Delhi BJP leaders. They saw Bedi as someone who was "parachuted" and devoid of grassroot support.

Some Delhi BJP leaders found Bedi less accommodative and more authoritative leading to internal dissent against her in the party though nothing came out in the open.

Bedi came under closer media scrutiny after being made BJP's CM candidate and some of her earlier claims like removing former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's car in 1982 when she was DCP Traffic in Delhi police fell flat.

Bedi was attacked on the social media for her "flip-flops" as people reminded her about her tweets in 2011 when she was critical of Modi. While joining BJP, Bedi had said Modi's inspirational leadership was the reason why she chose BJP.

She was also accused of being in touch with the BJP during the anti-graft movement as she had refused to hold a protest outside then BJP President Nitin Gadkari's residence in August 2012 as part of India Against Corruption's decision to gherao the residences of several political leaders on the coal block allocation scam.

Though Bedi promised not to indulge in personal attacks, she made scathing onsalughts on Kejriwal as the campaign peaked and went on to describe her former Team Anna colleague as a "liar" and someone whose influence was "toxic".

Bedi, who had worked closely with Kejriwal during the LokPal movement, split with him after he announced plan to form the Aam Aadmi Party on October 2, 2012. Bedi had severely criticised Kejriwal then saying she would continue to work with Anna Hazare and would never join any political party.