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Reporter: Shanti Bhushan ji has praised you, said you can be a good CM. Kiran Bedi: Unka bahut bahut dhanyavaad. pic.twitter.com/QigeXZ8KhZ — ANI (@ANI_news) January 22, 2015

(With inputs from PTI)

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NEW DELHI: AAP patriarch Shanti Bhushan on Thursday heaped praise on BJP's chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi and said she is as good as Arvind Kejriwal, an assessment that was immediately contradicted by his son Prashant and other AAP leaders.Welcoming Kiran Bedi's elevation as chief ministerial candidate, Shanti Bhushan said, "She has been an able administrator and is likely to give Delhi a clean and effective government." He called the move "a BJP masterstroke" adding that he would have been happier if Kiran Bedi was AAP's CM candidate."Kiran Bedi's joining BJP is a masterstroke of BJP. I feel to bring her into the party and making her the CM nominee was a masterstroke because Bedi in Anna's movement was with (Arvind) Kejriwal and Prashant (Bhushan) and her contribution there was influential as a crusader of corruption," Bhushan said.Bhushan also called for a "reorientation" within AAP saying all was not well in the party and it was not being run following its founding principles."Reorientation within AAP is very much needed. Their stress must be on reforming political system, improving political standards. I think everything is not right in the party and it is not being run on lines it was expected to run or what it was established for," he said.Shanti Bhushan said Anna Hazare should welcome Kiran Bedi's elevation as CM candidate as she was one of the key members of his anti-corruption movement.Reacting to Shanti Bhusan's praise, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said, "Everyone is free to express opinion in this country."Shanti Bhushan's son also disagreed with his assessment of the two leaders."He's a senior member, can express his opinion, but I do not agree with Shanti ji's assessment," Prashant Bhushan said.AAP leader Ashutosh said, "It is the personal opinion of Shanti Bhushan. Party does not agree with his opinion."He said there is internal democracy within AAP and leaders are free to hold independent opinions.Kiran Bedi thanked Shanti Bhushan for his support.