BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri. File
| Photo Credit: PTI
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from the Kalkaji Assembly constituency, Ramesh Bidhuri, on Sunday (January 12, 2025) refuted Aam Aadmi Party’s claim that he is BJP’s chief ministerial face for the upcoming elections.
Terming the AAP’s claims as “baseless” and “misleading propaganda,” Mr. Bidhuri, a former two-time MP, said that the people of Delhi want to bring BJP to power in the Assembly elections.”
“Over the past 25 years, I have held key positions and served as a Member of Parliament twice and as an MLA three times. I have now been given the opportunity to go near you for the fourth time,” he said in a press statement in Hindi.
“The party has given me so much, and I have no claim to any position. However, Arvind Kejriwal has persistently launched misleading propaganda against me. I want to make it clear that I am not a contender for any post,” he added.
Mr. Bidhuri further stated that by making such allegations the AAP chief has accepted that the BJP would form a government in the National Capital. “By making statements about me, Arvind Kejriwal has essentially acknowledged that the Bharatiya Janata Party is forming the government in Delhi, and he has conceded defeat,” he said.
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“It is widely known that the people of Delhi are deeply dissatisfied with him. They want relief from scandals such as the liquor scam, education scam, health scam, and the ‘Sheesh Mahal’ scam, along with broken roads, contaminated drinking water, and other issues,” he added.
“I am as devoted to the BJP as I am to the people. The rumours about me being a contender for the Chief Minister’s post are baseless. I will continue to serve you tirelessly as your servant,” he further added.
On Saturday, the AAP convenor claimed that Mr. Bidhuri will be made BJP’s CM face and proposed a debate between the Chief Ministerial candidates of the BJP and AAP, to be held before the people of Delhi after the “official confirmation” of Mr. Bidhuri’s candidacy.
Taking a dig at Mr. Bidhuri, who had also been in the soup for his previous remarks on Delhi Chief Minister Atishi and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, Mr. Kejriwal questioned his contributions towards Delhi’s development as a Lok Sabha MP.
”We are getting information that Ramesh Bidhuri’s name will be officially announced (as BJP CM face) in the coming one or two days. I congratulate Ramesh Bidhuri on becoming the CM face of BJP. On behalf of the Delhi public, I want to ask Ramesh Bidhuri what he did for the development of Delhi while being an MP. What is his vision for Delhi? What work will he get done as the CM face?” said Mr. Kejriwal.
Mr. Bidhuri is up against Delhi CM Atishi and Congress candidate Alka Lamba in the Kalkaji Assembly seat for the upcoming polls. The Delhi assembly polls will be held in a single phase on February 5, and the counting of votes will take place on February 8.
Published – January 12, 2025 08:39 pm IST
