Gandhian Anna Hazare has refused to talk to Kiran Bedi - formerly his close aide - after she joined the BJP, sources close to the activist told NDTV. Sources said he had felt hurt by Ms Bedi's decision to plunge into active politics without consulting him.
Since she joined the BJP on Thursday, Ms Bedi has been repeatedly calling Mr Hazare, but he had not been taking her calls. Ms Bedi called him last night and again this morning, they said.
On Friday, Mr Hazare told reporters that Ms Bedi had not contacted him before joining the BJP. Ms Bedi, he said, had not been to Ralegan Siddhi - Mr Hazare's village near Pune - since the last agitation over a year ago and she had not been in touch with him.
Mr Hazare, whose India Against Corruption campaign had won extensive support of the middle class in 2011, had not been in favour of going into mainstream politics. Both he and Ms Bedi - one of the key members of Team Anna -- had opposed Mr Arvind Kejriwal's move to launch the Aam Aadmi Party.
After his initial opposition, Mr Hazare, however, was reconciled to it. He gave Mr Kejriwal his blessing and had even promised to campaign for him.
The sources said they were hopeful of a similar reconciliation between Ms Bedi and Mr Hazare. Anna, one of them said, holds Ms Bedi in high esteem and considers her a "sincere and straightforward person".
Ms Bedi, who is widely expected to be the BJP's chief ministerial candidate, joined the party on Thursday. She has already expressed a wish to take on Mr Kejriwal on his home turf, the New Delhi constituency.
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