Departing from its practice of not naming a chief ministerial candidate, the BJP named Kiran Bedi ahead of voting on February 7 to quell dissenting voices in the party and also to counter Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal who is ahead of others in several pre-poll surveys.
The party’s Parliamentary Board, of which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a member, took the decision in its meeting on Monday. The Board is chaired by BJP president Amit Shah.
“The decision was unanimous,’’ Mr. Shah said, adding that he had consulted party leaders and none had any problem with Ms. Bedi being projected as the chief ministerial candidate.