NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Delhi may get a new president soon, though leaders privy to the matter, say that the possible change in guard is not related to the poll fiasco. Bhojpuri singer turned politician Manoj Tiwari was appointed as chief of Delhi BJP in November 2016.
“Tiwari’s three-year term ended in November last year. In view of the Assembly elections, he was given an extension. The party may announce a new person to lead the local unit after the dust settles,” said a party functionary.
The appointment of Tiwari, MP from northeast Delhi constituency, was seen as an attempt to woo Purvanchali voters in Delhi ahead of 2017 municipal elections. Addressing a press conference at his residence, Tiwari said the mandate of the people of Delhi is paramount and congratulated Arvind Kejriwal. Taking the responsibility for the party’s defeat, Tiwari said that BJP would retrospect on the reasons for its failure.
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“Workers should not be disappointed. The people have given their mandate keeping something in mind. The good thing is that our vote percentage has increased in comparison to the 2015 Assembly elections,” he said. BJP’s vote share was 32 per cent in 2015, which has increased to about 40 per cent. According to senior BJP leaders associated with the core group, Tiwari might be elevated to the union cabinet or may be given a significant responsibility in the organisation at the national level.
“He is a prominent Purvanchali face and has campaigned across the country in the last six years, where the party had done well. Under his leadership, party retained three corporations in 2017, besides seven LS seats,” he added.
However, a section of the Delhi BJP leaders said Purvanchali politics in the national capital is over-hyped and the senior leadership should pick a local leader, preferably a Baniya or Punjabi, to head the local unit.