Delhi BJP leaders unit are reportedly extremely discontented over reports that the party leadership has taken a decision to take former Aam Aadmi Party leader Shazia Ilmi into its fold.

by Tarique Anwar and Debobrat Ghose

New Delhi: Delhi BJP leaders unit are reportedly extremely discontented over reports that the party leadership has taken a decision to take former Aam Aadmi Party leader Shazia Ilmi into its fold.

“By inducting AAP leaders in the BJP, our state leadership wants to show its strength. They want to prove that they are capable enough to dent the new political outfit. But they should understand that the people who have joined the BJP or who are planning to join have already been sidelined by the AAP,” a senior leader of the party told Firstpost.

It has been widely speculated that an official announcement of Ilmi's membership will be made in a day or two.

Pointing to a series of Ilmi’s older tweets, he said, “She is the same person who left no stone unturned to accuse Narendra Modi at different occasions. She even had a problem with Congress leader Rashid Alvi giving respect to Mr Modi".

The offending tweet, made on 12 September 2011 read, “Why is Rashid alvi calling Modi narendra modi Ji? Why this show of respect?” (sic)

Other leaders were equally unhappy. Speaking to Firstpost another leader said, “The BJP had strongly condemned Ilmi’s statement made during Lok Sabha polls when she was caught on camera saying that Muslims should be communal. What happened to the same BJP now? This is hypocrisy and people understand it.”

He even went on to add that in the lust of power, the party was compromising its ideology. “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,” he alleged.

“The party wants to capitalise on AAP’s defectors but it must understand that the trick will not work. Our leadership should have faith in their workers,” said another disgruntled leader.

The BJP reportedly wants to field Ilmi against Kejriwal from New Delhi but she said in a tweet last night that she would not contest the upcoming elections.

“Was invited to speak at the National Defence College. Couldn't take media calls. I am not contesting from New Delhi or elsewhere, calm down folks,” she tweeted.

In fact, sources said Ilmi in fact wants the post of the chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women or any senior post in Doordarshan.

“She is more interested in heading the DCW or an authoritative post in Doordarshan than contesting polls. When she was approached by the party earlier, she wanted a ticket to contest elections from RK Puram but our leadership offered her the Okhla seat which she refused. Later, she refused to contest polls and showed interest in heading the women’s body or a senior position in Doordarshan. The negotiations are still going on,” the sources said.

She had contested the 2013 assembly polls from the RK Puram seat and lost by a slender margin.

Soon after the story of her joining was aired by the media, AAP chief Kejriwal took a swipe at Ilmi by re-tweeting one of her tweets, dated November 21, 2013 titled ‘Hypocrisy, thy name is BJP’.

Ilmi, who was with AAP at the time, had criticized both BJP and the Congress over its funding in the tweet.

Meanwhile AAP spokesperson Ashish Khetan said the party wished her luck.

“Every person has political ambition and has the right to choose what one wants to do. Despite speaking against the BJP and its communal politics when she was with AAP, now if she joins BJP, it’s all about her political ideology. Her party can field her against Arvind Kejriwal or any other candidate – everyone is entitled to follow one’s own choice. We wish her good luck,” Khetan told Firstpost.

“We too have heard about her joining BJP from media. It may be a speculation or may not be. But for quite some time through her actions and engagements with the party, it was becoming clear that Shazia would join BJP. Though she had been accusing the BJP from the AAP platform, that she is now joining it, speaks of opportunism,” said another AAP member on condition of anonymity.