Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal and BJP’s Kiran Bedi are pitted in a tough battle for the Chief Minister’s post in Delhi, according to a poll conducted by a news channel.
Kejriwal continues to be the most preferred chief ministerial candidate with 47 per cent, while Bedi, who joined BJP recently, is set to give a stiff competition as she managed the support of 44 per cent of the respondents, according to a ‘snap poll’ conducted by ABP News-Nielsen.
Amongst women respondents, Kejriwal is more popular with about 50 per cent of them backing him, whereas Bedi got 41.4 per cent support.
According to the poll, around 44 per cent felt that Bedi should have joined Aam Aadmi Party, while 33 per cent felt she did the right thing joining BJP and 23 per cent thought it does not matter which party she joins.
The snap poll was conducted among 1,489 respondents from January 17 to January 19 in Delhi.
An opinion poll carried out between January 11 and 15 by News Nation channel suggested a hung assembly again in Delhi with no party getting an absolute majority.
As per the opinion poll, BJP and AAP are neck and neck on the number of seats they would win, with AAP having an upper edge with 31-35 seats whereas BJP with 29-33 seats, comes close second.
The opinion poll suggested AAP, due to its intense campaigning and populist issues, has an upper hand and is most likely to get 38 per cent vote share followed by BJP with 37 per cent.
Despite the close contest, Kejriwal continues to be the top choice for Chief Minister’s post with 40 per cent respondents supporting his candidature. 38 per cent Delhiites feel that BJP can give a stable government.

New Delhi: It’s IIT versus IIT, Civil Services versus Civil Services, Ramon Magsasay Award versus Ramon Magsasay Award and India Against Corruption versus India Against Corruption (IAC).
Will the choice for Delhi voters be between BJP’s Kiran Bedi and Aam Aadmi Party’s Arvind Kejriwal, when the capital goes to polls on February 7 to elect its Assembly? Will BJP eventually declare Bedi as its chief ministerial nominee?
By inducting India’s first woman IPS officer, Kiran Bedi, into the party, the BJP has found a trump card to checkmate AAP’s biggest poll agenda: women’s security, which was the one issue in which AAP had scored over the BJP and the Congress. But by introducing Bedi, who was known as a tough, no-nonsense cop, the BJP wants to win over that space.
Though BJP president Amit Shah categorically stated that the chief ministerial candidate would be decided by the party’s Parliamentary Board, speculations are high that Bedi will get the job if the BJP comes to power.
Why are the chances of Kiran Bedi as the BJP’s chief ministerial nominee high? She has the right, no-nonsense credentials that the Delhi voter, who overwhelmingly voted for change, are clearly craving.
Bedi earned the nickname ‘Crane Bedi’ during her tenure as deputy commissioner Police Traffic for extensive use of cranes to tow away wrongly parked cars. Famously, she didn’t even spare the car of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
As DG (Prisons), she introduced reformatory measures in Tihar Jail and also founded two NGOs for welfare and preventative policing, as well as for prison reformation, community policing, prevention of drug abuse and child welfare.
Moreover, until now, the BJP has had no strong leader in Delhi that it can project as a possible CM candidate and lead the charge against the high-decibel poll pitch of the AAP.
Bedi, who is well-kown for being India’s first woman IPS officer (she joined in 1972), brings that star value to the Delhi unit of the BJP, which has until now, been a poor reflection of the party’s status in other states. In the last Assembly elections, the party banked on Dr. Harsh Vardhan, but he has since been moved to the Centre as a union minister.
During Sheila Dikshit’s tenure as Delhi CM, Bedi was denied the post of Delhi Police Commissioner and an officer two years’ junior to her was appointed. She took voluntary retirement and pursued her social work

Former AAP leader had quit in 2014 after citing the absence of internal democracy in the Aam Aadmi Party. She had contested the 2013 Delhi Assembly elections and 2014 Lok Sabha elections on a AAP ticket unsuccessfully.

Ilmi has stayed out of politics since she left the party in 24 May, 2014 accusing the party of not having any internal democracy. She has since been a vocal critic of the party’s functioningon Twitter, often finding herself being targeted on the medium by the AAP’s supporters.

In an interview to Firstpost in November, Ilmi had said she wouldn’t contest the assembly poll from any political party but said she’s not quitting politics either. Speculation over her joining the BJP had risen after she praised the Prime Minister’s Swachh Bharat campaign, but she had defended her actions.

“Even, if I don’t do anything, rumour or controversy often takes place. When I left the AAP, Arvind on a television channel said since I was joining the Congress, I had left AAP, which was not true. I never joined Congress. PM’s Swachh Bharat mission is a great mission and one shouldn’t allow rotten apples to spoil a good mission,” she had said.

While saying that she still wanted to make a difference, Ilmi had said at the time that she didn’t want to contest any election.

She had also quashed speculation earlier this week that she would be joining the party.

However, it remains to be seen how the former AAP leader does in the BJP given not everyone in the state unit of the party is very pleased about the former AAP leader joining them just before the national capital goes to the polls.

“The BJP needs to understand that people are keen to join us because we are in power and have good prospects in the upcoming Assembly elections. Induction of too many AAP leaders shows that the party has compromised its ideology,” a BJP leader said on condition of anonymity to Firstpost.

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal today alleged a nexus between Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay and certain power distribution companies, saying firms owned by him were installing and repairing meters for the discoms in the city.
Upadhyay strongly rejected the allegations saying he was not involved in any sale or purchase of power meters and challenged the AAP leader to come out with proof of his charges or quit politics.
Asking BJP to come clean on the alleged nexus, Kejriwal wondered how the party made Upadhyay its Delhi chief when he has alleged links with power discom BSES. He alleged that Upadhyay owns six companies one of which had two VAT numbers which is against law.
Addressing a press conference, the former Delhi chief minister alleged that Upadhyay owns 6000 shares in New Delhi Communication Network Ltd (NCNL) that provides services like installation and replacement of meters to power discoms.
Kejriwal alleged Upadhyay and his wife have 2500 shares each in another company and Delhi BJP vice-president Ashish Sood was its former director. “Their website reveals that it bagged the best vendor award from Reliance Energy, its No 1 in BSES’s metering work and till date has installed and replaced meters in Delhi.
“Installing and replacing meters is done by Satish Upadhyay’s company. People of Delhi have been alleging that these meters are running fast. This is the reason, why the AAP government had ordered probe into installation of the meters,” Kejriwal said.
Rejecting the allegations, Upadhyay said there was no records of the firms mentioned by AAP. “Kejriwal should either give proof of my association with the companies or he should quit politics.”
Kejriwal added that the BJP had been dilly-dallying over its promise of slashing electricity tariff by 30 per cent and did not criticise the firms when the CAG had complained that they did not furnish details of their finances.
“The BJP said it will reduce electricity tariff by 30 per cent, but it could not slash the rate for the past seven months, instead it has increased it by 15 per cent.
“AAP had started audit, but for the past 7-8 months CAG has many a time complained that these companies were doing irregularities, but BJP government did not say anything. In seven months. When BJP was at the helm of affairs in Delhi, they stopped the meter checking work initiated by AAP,” Kejriwal said.

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal Speaks to NDTV’s Barkha Dutt ahead of Delhi’s Assembly election scheduled for February 7. Here are the highlights of his discussion:
• People are confident that they have to vote AAP this time.
• We will get between 45-50 seats this time.
• Last time we faced disadvantage of a new party. We had to tell people we are also in the field. People doubted us.
• This time people know only two parties in race – BJP, AAP.
• Last time anti-incumbency against congress. This time pro- incumbency in favour of AAP.
• Being in power for seven months the BJP has done nothing; In 49 days we had done much more.
• Comparing Haryana and Maharashtra to Delhi is like comparing apples and oranges.
• In those states the people had no option but to choose between BJP and Congress. In Delhi the Aam Aadmi Party has a presence.
• People of Delhi have accepted our apology.
• I have responded to “maidan chhod diya” allegation.
• People know that Narendra Modi won’t become chief minister. People want strong chief minister.
• Who is main challenger? Jagdish Mukhi. Four senior BJP leaders called us and begged “make me your main rival”.
• Do I look like a Naxal? It is not right to say such things. I urge them to focus on issues.

Stepping up attack on Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhyay, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal today said that he would present fresh evidence against him.

The former chief minister had alleged a nexus between Upadhyay and certain power distribution companies, saying firms owned by him were installing and repairing meters for the discoms in the national capital.

Yesterday, Upadhyay had said, “If Kejriwal fails to prove, I will file a criminal defamation case against him. If Kejriwal’s allegations are found to be true, I will quit politics.”

Taking a jibe at Upadhyay, Kejriwal today wondered whether the Delhi BJP chief would keep his words of quitting politics.

“Satish Upadhyay said he wud quit politucs if we present evidence. Today we will present evidence. Hope he keeps his word,” Kejriwal tweeted.

He had also asked how BJP had made Upadhyay its Delhi chief when he has alleged links with power discom BSES.

He also alleged that Upadhyay owns six companies one of which had two VAT numbers which is against law.

An unidentified miscreant today threw eggs and a stone at AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal at a rally in Sultanpur Majra Assembly constituency in north west Delhi. Kejriwal was unhurt in the incident.

According to a party volunteer, while the AAP chief was holding his third ‘jansabha’ at Jalebi Chowk in Sultanpur Majra, an unidentified person threw eggs and a stone at the rally and fled.
The eggs and stone did not hit Kejriwal, but fell near the podium from where Kejriwal was addressing.

This is the second attack on the former Delhi chief minister in Sultanpur Majra. While campaigning for Rakhi Birla, AAP’s Lok Sabha candidate for North West Delhi, Kejriwal was hit by an auto driver.

Kejriwal was attacked last month while addressing a rally at Deoli, when he was addressing a jansabha for party candidate Prakash Jarwal, for the second time in the same area.

Earlier when he was campaigning in South Delhi for party candidate Devendra Sehrawat, he was attacked at the same place.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers, who were maintaining a low-profile in Bengaluru, previously known as Bangalore, since the blistering Lok Sabha campaign last year, got a major boost with the visit of Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday for a whirlwind fundraiser for the Delhi elections.
A banquet in the afternoon, with tickets priced at Rs. 20,000 each, had more than 200 guests and netted a cool Rs. 40 lakh for the party which has emerged as the main challenger to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitions in the national capital.
The “selfie with mufflerman” campaign as well other individual donations has put between Rs 15 and 20 lakh in the party’s kitty, sources said.
Answering a question during the luncheon, he said, “Many of you might be wondering why we are holding a fundraiser here when the elections are in Delhi. Don’t forget that what happens in Delhi impacts the whole country.”
Kejriwal, who addressed a public meeting at the St. Aloysius College here, had the small but enthusiastic crowd of around 1,500 latching on to every word as he lampooned the Modi government and the BJP. Claiming that the AAP will receive a clear majority this time, he said, ”
“BJP held a rally yesterday (Saturday). They had set a target of 1 lakh people. Less than 30,000 people showed up. 2500 buses were deployed. That means about 12 people sat in one bus and came. The language used by them shows they are extremely nervous and scared.”
Responding to the “professional protestor” label given to him by the BJP, he said, “They did not criticise one thing we did in 49 days.
That means even BJP thinks we did well in 49 days.”

François Hollande says ‘Paris is the capital of the world’ as estimated 3.7 million across France march in solidarity
Around 1.5 million people take to the streets of Paris on Sunday in a show of defiance and unity
It was the day Paris united. And with dozens of world leaders joining the millions of people marching to commemorate and celebrate the victims of last week’s terror attacks, it was also the day the world united behind the city.
“Today, Paris is the capital of the world. The entire country will rise up,” the French president, François Hollande, said.
It was the first time since the liberation of Paris in August 1944 that so many people – the interior ministry said there were too many to count but most estimates put it at somewhere between 1.5 million and 2 million – took to the streets of the city. An estimated 3.7 million took to the streets across the whole country.
As investigations continue into the attack on the offices of Charlie Hebdo magazine by Saïd and Chérif Kouachi, which left 12 dead on Wednesday, the killing of a female police officer the following day, and the attack on a Kosher supermarket by Amédy Coulibaly on Friday in which four died, the mood among the crowds in Paris was one of unity.
This was a nationwide outpouring of grief, solidarity and defiance. Parisiens of all ages, religions and nationalities turned out en masse not only to show their respect for the victims but their support for the values of the Republic: “liberté, égalité, fraternité” – freedom of speech and freedom of the press.
“On est tous Charlie” (We are all Charlie), they chanted, waving French flags, singing La Marseillaise, brandishing pens, pencils, placards and banners in French, English and Arabic.
Some read “Nous sommes la République” (We are the Republic) and “Je suis Muslim”. One child held a banner reading: “I am Charlie, I am the police, and no Chérif will take away my liberty.” Another young boy carried a placard reading: “Later I will be a journalist. I’m not afraid!”
“We are united – Muslims, Catholics, Jews, we want to live peacefully together,” one woman told reporters.
A group of marchers carried a large model of a pencil with “NOT AFRAID” written on the side.
The noise along the route, where around 2,200 heavily armed police and gendarmes, including crack snipers on roofs, were deployed, rose and fell in waves, with songs and chants of “Charlie, Charlie, Charlie” punctuating the solemnity of the atmosphere and drowning out the helicopters overhead.
At regular intervals, the crowd stopped to applaud police and gendarmes shouting “merci police”; three police officers died in the attacks.
On a political and diplomatic level, it was unparalleled. Protocol rules were ignored as around 50 world leaders congregated in the French capital. Presidents, prime ministers, statesmen and women took buses from the Elysée palace to join the march from Place de la République to Place de la Nation, two of Paris’s best-known squares.
The occasion was sombre and heavy with symbolism. As the dignitaries left the Elysée, it rained. By the time they arrived, the grey clouds had parted, allowing a rare ray of winter sunshine.
Here were some of the most powerful people on earth jostling for space in the Paris boulevard named after Voltaire, the French Enlightenment writer, historian and advocate of freedom of religion and speech.
The leaders then set off, arm in arm, Hollande in the centre, the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, and the Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, to his left. To his right, Ibrahim Boubacar Këita, the president of Mali – where French troops intervened to push back Islamist forces in 2013 – the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, and the British prime minister, David Cameron. As they marched, the crowds that lined the route broke into cheers and applause.
As a powerful mark of respect for those who died, the world leaders took second place, walking behind the families and friends of the victims of last week’s attacks.
Charlie Hebdo staff, including those who survived Wednesday’s attack, wore white headbands bearing the name Charlie.
In the leading cortege, tears streamed down faces etched with pain, grief and shock. Several mourners had to be gently supported as they made their way towards Place de la Nation.
In one poignant and profoundly emotional scene, Hollande hugged Patrick Pelloux, an A&E doctor who is also a journalist at Charlie Hebdo. Pelloux arrived late at the magazine office on Wednesday to find many of his colleagues had been slaughtered. He and other survivors have vowed to publish Charlie Hebdo next Wednesday despite the attack with a record print run of 1 million copies
Leaders of all the religions marched behind a banner bearing the slogan “We are Charlie”.
Earlier in the day hundreds gathered to honour Ahmed Merabet, 42, the police officer gunned down in the Charlie Hebdo attack. The hashtag #JesuisAhmed has become widely used on Twitter along with #JesuisCharlie.
Pierre-Yves Martin, mayor of Livry Gargan in the north-east of Paris, paid homage to a “calm and talented” man. The Muslim officer was killed at close range by the fleeing gunmen Saïd and Chérif Kouachi.
“Ahmed Merabet, your life was stolen and no one can give it back, and so it was not taken in vain we are here, united against barbarism and to uphold the values of the Republic,” Martin said.
The mayor asked those gathered to hold hands for a minute’s silence. Flowers were laid in front of a portrait of the assassinated man, and the crowd sang La Marseillaise.
On Sunday evening, after the march, Hollande was due at the Grande Synagogue in Paris to meet Jewish leaders. The Jewish community has been traumatised by Friday’s hostage-taking at the kosher supermarket at the Porte de Vincennes in eastern Paris.
Speaking to reporters before meeting Hollande and the French prime minister, Manuel Valls, Roger Cukierman, president of the Jewish umbrella group CRIF, condemned those who were using social media to express support for the Kouachi brothers killed in a shootout by police on Friday, around the same time a separate police assault killed gunman Amédy Coulibaly at the supermarket.
“It is intolerable that there is a hashtag on social media saying #IamKouachi,” Cukierman said. He branded the tweets as “an apology for murder” which should be pursued through the courts.
Government ministers, led by prime minister Manuel Valls, and representatives from France’s political parties, including the former president Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, were part of another delegation at the march. The far right Front National, which has linked immigration with terrorism, was not invited to take part in the official cortege.
France’s Socialist government had called for a Republican march, but so many citizens responded to the call it became more of a crowded shuffle along the 3km route.
The events of last week have deeply shocked and scarred the French people who found a sense of collective comfort in coming together on Sunday to say “We are not afraid”. As night fell, they continued to march and gather, reluctant to leave the comfort of the crowd and the momentous occasion.