New Delhi: The BJP’s chief ministerial candidate for Delhi Assembly polls Kiran Bedi, who is known to take her opponents head on, backed off when AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal challenged her to a public debate on issues related to Delhi.

Evading the challenge, the former IPS officer said, “It was time for development and delivery, and debates will be held on the floor of the House.”

Trying to make its presence felt in the two-cornered fight between the AAP and the BJP, Congress leader Ajay Maken did not let go of the opportunity for a public debate. Knowing that his party has nothing much to lose, Mr Maken backed the proposal for a public debate between him, Ms Bedi and Mr Kejriwal.

The BJP, which is now desperately banking more on Ms Bedi’s ‘charisma’ rather than on the ‘Modi wave’, said the battle for Delhi was one between the “iron lady and I run man (Kejriwal).”

Read: Factionalism in BJP over Kiran Bedi as CM face

If rifts, factionalism and dissent continued to plague the saffron camp, it was flash bombs, slogans and massive crowds at the 7-km roadshow of AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday.

Set out with much fanfare, Mr Kejriwal’s roadshow was thronged by thousands of people, making it an instant success. It received a huge response, due to which the party was forced to bring it to an abrupt end at Gole Market, and Mr Kejriwal’s filing of his nomination papers had to be postponed to Wednesday, which is the last day.

The AAP convener was accompanied by enthused party supporters, who organised themselves into impromptu flash mobs and chanted slogans like “Paanch saal Kejriwal” during the Addressing the crowd, the former Delhi chief minister called the BJP a “machine of lies”.