New Delhi: In a major jolt to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), its Delhi chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi's election campaign in-charge, Narendra Tandon, today resigned from the party.
Tandon, also the party's state executive member, announced his decision to quit protesting against Bedi's ‘dictatorial attitude'.
Tandon has written a letter to party chief Amit Shah apprising him about his decision.
“I am resigning from the Bharatiya Janata Party. I was associated with the party from last 30 years and served at several posts. But today I am disappointed with the way Kiran Bedi was declared the chief ministerial candidate,” he said in his letter to Shah.
“I was looking after Bedi's programme from last 10 days... the way she dictate us was not tolerable. Her aide even scolded me on several occasions. I had worked very hard and tried to deliver my best in last 11 days,” the letter reads.
When Bedi was asked about Tandon's resignation, she refused to comment.
Delhi BJP, however, appeared unfazed and claimed he had ‘created trouble' in the past too.
"His past record is not very impressive. He has created trouble for the party in the past as well. He had filed nomination against party candidate Rajni Abbi in the 2013 assembly polls in Timarpur constituency," Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said, adding that Tandon's resignation will not affect the party.
Tandon was general secretary of Delhi University's Students Union in late 1990s during his stint with BJP's ABVP. He rose through the party ranks and later became secretary of Delhi BJP when OP Kohli was made the city unit chief.
Polling in Delhi will be held in a single phase on February 7 and votes will be counted on February 10.