Ramesh Bidhuri, the former MP and now BJP candidate for the Kalkaji seat, has made waves with a controversial comment against Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi. Although this is his first attempt from Kalkaji, Bidhuri has previously served in the assembly representing Tughlaqabad, his hometown. He wasted no time in stirring the pot by targeting Priyanka Gandhi as soon as his candidacy was announced.
Despite Kalkaji's challenges, Bidhuri decided to take the plunge. While defeat could spell the end of his political journey, a split in anti-BJP votes between the AAP and Congress could turn the tide in his favor. By making such a contentious statement, Bidhuri may not only be seeking media attention but also aiming to impact Congress's campaign dynamics. Facing two formidable female candidates, his remarks seem calculated to fracture the female voter base. Furthermore, the more opponents criticize him, the more established he becomes at Kalkaji.
What Exactly Did Bidhuri Say?
In a BJP event at Kalkaji, Ramesh Bidhuri remarked, "We will make Kalkaji's roads as smooth as Priyanka Gandhi's cheeks," sparking a political storm with Congress and AAP leading the charge against him.
Could Controversy Hinder Bidhuri?
Ramesh Bidhuri is no stranger to controversy; only last year, his language raised debates in Lok Sabha. Kalkaji's educated electorate might not react kindly to his comments about Priyanka Gandhi, especially since he is a newcomer here despite representing South Delhi as an MP twice. If he highlights Kalkaji's poor road conditions, it inadvertently questions his previous performances as an MP. Such unwelcome controversies could hold him back, particularly when the BJP aims to avoid being viewed as anti-women in the crucial Delhi assembly elections, where support for statements like Bidhuri's might be limited.
Is Involving Congress in the Campaign a Strategy?
Delhi's elections hold substantial significance, with Arvind Kejriwal and his party aiming for a historic win. The BJP faces a tough task of stopping this momentum. Without involving Congress, victory is challenging, as past elections show that direct BJP-AAP contests often do not favor the BJP. However, with ten years of incumbency fatigue against Kejriwal's government, BJP sees this as its best chance since 1993 to reclaim Delhi. Hence, elevating Congress in the electoral equation might be their Plan B for victory.
Why Did Bidhuri Abandon His Traditional Seat?
Currently, Ramesh Bidhuri is contending with Delhi CM Atishi and feisty Congress leader Alka Lamba at Kalkaji. He left his usual Tughlaqabad seat partly because his nephew Vikram Bidhuri previously lost there to AAP's Sehrawat Pehalwan in both the 2015 and 2020 assembly elections. Despite his influence as South Delhi's MP, he couldn’t secure a win for his nephew, leading him to consider Tughlaqabad no safer for himself this time.
