New Delhi: Kiran Bedi, the BJP's chief ministerial candidate, is apparently unimpressed by her rival Arvind Kejriwal's praise for her and has attacked him again in connection with funding allegations. "Do not be carried away by him. He just wants to manipulate people," Ms Bedi told reporters on Tuesday.
Her comments came shortly after she was described by the Aam Aadmi Party chief as a "very nice lady in the wrong party" and someone he would have liked to have in his party.
Ms Bedi and her BJP have sharply attacked AAP for allegedly accepting donations from dubious companies in April last year. A group of former supporters of AAP have alleged that the companies were fronts for money laundering.
Speaking to NDTV on those allegations, Mr Kejriwal said, "Let anyone investigate the companies. And us. If we are found guilty, give us the harshest punishment."
The BJP has dubbed the controversy "hawala at midnight" and mocked the AAP leader's claims of clean politics.
"I am not surprised that he wants to be sent to jail...old habits die hard. His habit is to mislead people. He just wants to stay in the news at all costs. Negativity suits him and he believes in negativity," Ms Bedi said scathingly of her former associate.
Kiran Bedi and Arvind Kejriwal both worked together for social crusader Anna Hazare's anti-corruption campaign in 2011. Mr Kejriwal broke away a year later and formed his political outfit, AAP.
Kiran Bedi joined the BJP last month and was promptly named the party's chief ministerial candidate for the Delhi election on Saturday. The results will be announced on the 10th.