With the BJP returning to power in Delhi after 27 years, the swearing-in ceremony is expected next week following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States on February 12-13.
The BJP is expected to stake claim to power next week after PM Modi returns from a foreign visit, party leaders told PTI.
The saffron party swept the February 5 assembly elections in the national capital, winning 48 of 70 seats, ending the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party’s 12-year rule in Delhi.
However, buzz over the BJP’s chief ministerial pick has intensified, with several names emerging to lead the party’s first government in Delhi in nearly three decades.
TNIE reported on Saturday that several names have been doing the rounds in recent days, including Bansuri Swaraj, Virendra Sachdeva, Pravesh Verma, Vijender Gupta, Manoj Tiwari, Satish Upadhyay, Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Rekha Gupta.
Sachdeva, who led the party’s election campaign, said on Saturday that the central leadership will decide on the chief minister. As the party’s Delhi president, he enjoys strong backing from the central leadership.
Bansuri Swaraj, daughter of the late Sushma Swaraj, holds a strong reputation within both the state and central BJP leadership. Her mother was the last BJP chief minister of Delhi.
Parvesh Verma’s political stature surged after his decisive victory over AAP supremo Kejriwal from New Delhi, making him a strong contender for the top post. A prominent Jat leader, he is also the son of former Delhi chief minister Sahib Singh Verma.
The BJP winners also included several experienced senior leaders who are also in the race for the chief minister's post, party leaders said after the poll results were declared on Saturday.
"These include Ashish Sood and former state general secretary (organisation) Pawan Sharma," a top BJP functionary in Delhi said.
Sood, who won from Janakpuri, is a senior leader with some hands-on experience in administrative matters gained during BJP's rule in the South Delhi Municipal Corporation. He is also BJP's in-charge for Goa, and co-in-charge for the party's Jammu and Kashmir unit.
Sharma, who won from Uttam Nagar, is also a frontrunner for the CM post, BJP leaders said. He is currently the BJP's co-in-charge for Assam.
Other serious contenders to the top post include former Delhi BJP presidents Vijender Gupta and Satish Upadhyay.
Gupta, the leader of opposition in the previous Delhi Assembly, scored a hat-trick of wins from Rohini. Upadhyay, the former vice-chairman of New Delhi Municipal Council, is believed to share close ties with the RSS leadership.
Co-in-charge for BJP's Madhya Pradesh unit, Upadhyay defeated AAP stalwart and former minister Somnath Bharti from Malviya Nagar.
Similarly, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, who won from Rajouri Garden, is also under consideration and is a prominent Punjabi face in Delhi politics.
BJP leaders also didn't rule out the possibility of the party's national leadership placing its bet on a woman candidate for Delhi chief minster's post. In that case, Rekha Gupta and Shikha Rai are two experienced leaders who may be considered, they said.
While Rai defeated AAP heavyweight Saurabh Bharadwaj from Greater Kailash, Gupta won from Shalimar Bagh defeating AAP’s Vandana Kumari.
In case the national leadership opts for someone from outside its legislative party members, a few sitting MPs could also be considered, such as Union minister Harsh Malhotra and North-East Delhi MP Manoj Tiwari, said a section of Delhi BJP leaders.
Tiwari, a three-time MP from North East Delhi, is a popular figure among Purvanchali voters in Delhi and enjoys significant support due to his career as a Bhojpuri film star.
Malhotra, an MP from East Delhi, is the Minister of State for Corporate Affairs and the Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways in the BJP-led NDA government.
Meanwhile, a senior BJP leader cautioned that going by past experiences in Haryana, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, where the party won assembly polls recently, it leaves little room for speculation on such matters.
"You never know...The national leadership can come out with an altogether fresh face who fits the bill and is capable of discharging the duties as the chief minister of Delhi amid high expectations of the people," he said.
