The Bharatiya Janata Party is still figuring out what went wrong with the Delhi elections, where they were dealt a massive, almost unprecedented defeat. Chief among the factors blamed for the loss was the chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi, a social activist and former Indian Police Service officer who was inducted into the party at the last minute. While the BJP is blaming their CM candidate for their rout, Bedi herself has a few other thoughts about what went wrong: politics is an unfair, dirty sport and voters expect too much.
In a post on her blog, entitled “an open letter to fellow Indians,” Bedi explains how elections in this country are not built for law-abiding mature, civil people, although she doesn’t go on to explain how the rest of her party, the BJP, didn’t mind that during last year’s Lok Sabha polls.
“Indian Democracy if it truly wants many well meaning people to stake their experience for mature and good governance, needs a civil culture and law abiding environment. ( I am being mild in saying this),” Bedi writes in her post. “Hope to see it change in my life time.”
The former CM candidate starts off with a characteristic listing of her own achievements in the past: preventing rapes by “erstwhile criminal tribes”, conducting traffic management by using student volunteers and making a district ridden with bootlegging dry.
She then explains why she jumped into electoral politics: I stepped into electoral politics because I wanted to give my city all I still had, when i was given the feeling that I could be of value,” Bedi wrote. “I also wanted to not die one day with a guilt that I was commenting only and never daring to pass the ultimate test of electoral politics.”
While gamely admitting that she failed the test and takes full responsibility for her decision, Bedi insists that there were lots of factors that led to her loss in the BJP stronghold of Krishnanagar, and across the city. According to Bedi, the way campaign works, good people have no chance of winning.
Loud and uncouth
“Everything is too loud, uncouth at times, insulting to thin skinned, false, insinuating, biased, revengeful, corrupt, wasteful, highly disruptive of common man's needs, breaking all laws, and sending all wrong messages. It's not a level playing field for the levelheaded serving people. It's a field for might and muscle in all respects.”
She goes on to also blame the voters for wanting services without having to pay for them. “They do not get it still, that there are no free lunches in life. If you rob Peter to pay Paul, it won't be long before all get robbed.”
Additionally Bedi claims that campaigning needs to be regulated better by the Election Commission, which should allocate spaces to the parties including by allowing them to use television for last-mile connectivity. She also reiterates her grouse against the Jama Masjid chief cleric’s call for voters to pick the Aam Aadmi Party, saying this sort of public appeal must be banned.
Bedi concludes her blog post on a rather unhappy note, making it clear how she felt about her time in electoral politics, which might also be a clue as to what she might try to do nex.t
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An open letter to be my fellow citizens. http://t.co/adHrdfy2yC”
— Kiran Bedi (@thekiranbedi) February 16, 2015In a post on her blog, entitled “an open letter to fellow Indians,” Bedi explains how elections in this country are not built for law-abiding mature, civil people, although she doesn’t go on to explain how the rest of her party, the BJP, didn’t mind that during last year’s Lok Sabha polls.
“Indian Democracy if it truly wants many well meaning people to stake their experience for mature and good governance, needs a civil culture and law abiding environment. ( I am being mild in saying this),” Bedi writes in her post. “Hope to see it change in my life time.”
The former CM candidate starts off with a characteristic listing of her own achievements in the past: preventing rapes by “erstwhile criminal tribes”, conducting traffic management by using student volunteers and making a district ridden with bootlegging dry.
She then explains why she jumped into electoral politics: I stepped into electoral politics because I wanted to give my city all I still had, when i was given the feeling that I could be of value,” Bedi wrote. “I also wanted to not die one day with a guilt that I was commenting only and never daring to pass the ultimate test of electoral politics.”
While gamely admitting that she failed the test and takes full responsibility for her decision, Bedi insists that there were lots of factors that led to her loss in the BJP stronghold of Krishnanagar, and across the city. According to Bedi, the way campaign works, good people have no chance of winning.
Loud and uncouth
“Everything is too loud, uncouth at times, insulting to thin skinned, false, insinuating, biased, revengeful, corrupt, wasteful, highly disruptive of common man's needs, breaking all laws, and sending all wrong messages. It's not a level playing field for the levelheaded serving people. It's a field for might and muscle in all respects.”
She goes on to also blame the voters for wanting services without having to pay for them. “They do not get it still, that there are no free lunches in life. If you rob Peter to pay Paul, it won't be long before all get robbed.”
Additionally Bedi claims that campaigning needs to be regulated better by the Election Commission, which should allocate spaces to the parties including by allowing them to use television for last-mile connectivity. She also reiterates her grouse against the Jama Masjid chief cleric’s call for voters to pick the Aam Aadmi Party, saying this sort of public appeal must be banned.
Bedi concludes her blog post on a rather unhappy note, making it clear how she felt about her time in electoral politics, which might also be a clue as to what she might try to do nex.t
"In the end I wish to thank all those who reposed their trust in me. And to say I am sorry I could not measure upto theirs. And also all who called me with foulest possible names. I am relieved my parents were not alive to see this..."