Published 16:18 IST, November 24th 2019
Manish Sisodia's congratulatory post for BJP's Delhi CM-face Manoj Tiwari in good faith?
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia congratulated state BJP chief Manoj Tiwari after Union Minister Hardeep Puri publically endorsed Tiwari for CM face
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Sunday "congratulated" state BJP chief Manoj Tiwari after Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri publically endorsed Tiwari to be the party's CM face. Sisodia retweeted a news agency's tweet of Puri's address with the post, "I congratulate Manoj Tiwari Ji on being made the BJP's chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming assembly elections." Puri was quoted as saying, "We are going to fight Assembly elections under the leadership of Manoj Tiwari Ji and we will rest only after making him the Chief Minister." Now, whether Sisodia's greetings meant good faith or was satirical in nature, perhaps he can answer best.
Endorsement for Manoj Tiwari
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Sunday batted for Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari as the chief ministerial candidate of the party in the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections scheduled early next year. "We are going to contest the Assembly elections under the leadership of Manoj Tiwari Ji and we will rest only after making him the Chief Minister," said Puri addressing a public meeting in the national capital. This came a day after he said he had no intention to run for the post of Delhi chief minister.
Challenge to Kejriwal
In his address on Sunday, Hardeep Singh Puri also attacked sitting Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on reports of supply of contaminated water in certain parts of Delhi. "Kejriwal Ji says that Delhi's water is not that bad. If that is the case, then drink a litre of that water, you'll know whether it's bad or not," challenged Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.
The BJP had placed its bets on Dr Harsh Vardhan, now Union Health Minister, during the 2013 assembly elections, while former IPS officer Kiran Bedi was its CM face in 2015, now Lt. Governor of Puducherry. In both elections, the party tasted defeat from the Aam Aadmi Party, especially a crushing one in 2015 by securing just three seats in the 70-seat Assembly.
Updated 18:28 IST, November 24th 2019