'Anna Hazare is Blessing Me Privately, Not Publicly': Arvind Kejriwal to NDTV

New Delhi:

Arvind Kejriwal, who is running for chief minister of Delhi, says his main rival the BJP's Kiran Bedi is a "very nice lady in the wrong party" and that he would've " liked Kiran Bedi in AAP."

The Aam Aadmi Party chief also told NDTV that his mentor, now estranged, Gandhian activist Anna Hazare, "gives me his blessings privately."

Mr Kejriwal and Ms Bedi were key aides of Anna Hazare during his anti-corruption campaign in 2011. Mr Kejriwal fell apart with Anna over his decision to launch a political party.

So who ditched Anna? "No one ditched Anna. Everyone came together to protest. Annaji thought it was important to continue our protest in hope of a revolution, whereas we thought that it is necessary to enter politics to clean up the system." said Mr Kejriwal.

A poll of opinion polls shows Mr Kejriwal's two-year-old party closing the gap with the BJP in Delhi, which will vote for a new government on Saturday. The Aam Aadmi Party seems to have gained largely at the cost of the Congress.

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The BJP acknowledges that it sees Arvind Kejriwal as its main rival in this election and has brought out the heavy artillery to attack him in the last week.

Last year Mr Kejriwal served as Chief Minister at the head of a minoriity AAP government supported by the Congress. He resigned after 49 days, which he has repeatedly said was a mistake.

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He has now sought a majority in the assembly to be able to give Delhi a stable government for five years.

In the elections held in December 2013, the AAP had won 28 seats and was second only to the BJP, which too fell short of the halfway mark at 36 seats.