India

Delhi Election Results: Kiran Bedi, Shazia Ilmi Had Reason to Avoid Twitter Today

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New Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal’s spectacular victory in the Delhi election meant that two of his former associates turned critics, Kiran Bedi and Shazia Ilmi, faced searing criticism on social media.

Mr Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won 67 seats in the 70-member Delhi assembly, leaving only three seats for its main rival BJP, and none for the Congress.

Kiran Bedi and Shazia Ilmi, who joined the BJP last month, were dragged into a debate on twitter.

“Pick a side and make it win. Don’t try and pick the winning side. Maybe that’s the lesson for folks like Kiran Bedi. Who knows!” tweeted comedian Vir Das.

“Poor Kiran Bedi looking for a crane to tow her out of the Dilli disaster!” tweeted author Shobhaa De, referring to her famous nickname “Crane Bedi ” from her days as traffic cop.

Some tweets came out in her support: “Ma’am. In all Honesty, We Wanted you to Win.”

Kiran Bedi and Arvind Kejriwal worked together for Gandhian activist Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption campaign in 2011, but drifted apart when Mr Kejriwal launched his political party.

Former journalist Shazia Ilmi joined Mr Kejriwal and was counted among the top leaders of AAP along with Manish Sisodia, Yogendra Yadav and Prashant and Shanti Bhushan.

But after AAP’s disastrous national election debut, Ms Ilmi made her disenchantment with the party leadership clear. AAP alleged that she was upset at not being fielded from a seat of her choice.

Both Kiran Bedi and Shazia Ilmi were scathing in their criticism of Arvind Kejriwal during the Delhi campaign. While Ms Bedi called him toxic, Ms Ilmi called him an opportunist.

Today, Ms Ilmi said she did not regret leaving AAP, but could hardly stop the blast of tweets coming her way.

“Think twice before you jump from one lane to another This includes traffic,supermarkets, even wait lines for a table Cheers,” said one tweet.

Another said, “Shazia Ilmi jumped from a life-boat to a sinking ship.”

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