The wait for Delhi's next chief minister is expected to end soon, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) scheduled to hold its legislative party meeting on February 19. All 48 newly elected BJP MLAs will meet at the party's Delhi office to choose their leader, who will then be sworn in as the capital's new chief minister.
BJP's Victory and the End of AAP's Rule
The BJP won 48 of the 70 seats in the Delhi assembly elections, ousting the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) from power in the national capital. The AAP, which governed Delhi for over a decade, secured only 22 seats in the fiercely contested elections. Several key AAP leaders, including Arvind Kejriwal, lost their seats. The Congress party failed to secure a single seat once again.
Key Contenders for the Chief Minister's Post
Several names have been mentioned as leading contenders for the chief minister's position.
Parvesh Verma: A prominent Jat leader in Delhi who won against Arvind Kejriwal in the New Delhi seat. He is the son of former chief minister Saheb Singh Verma.
Vijender Gupta: The leader of the BJP in the outgoing Assembly, securing his third consecutive victory from Rohini.
Satish Upadhyay: Former Delhi BJP president.
Other potential choices include Bansuri Swaraj, the daughter of the late Sushma Swaraj, and Harish Khurana, son of former chief minister Madan Lal Khurana.
The BJP's Strategy
The BJP is likely to select a leader from among the winning MLAs to avoid the necessity of byelections. The party has a history of making unexpected choices for key leadership roles, often selecting lesser-known figures to introduce fresh perspectives. Some reports suggest the possibility of appointing two deputy chief ministers to ensure broad community representation.
Grand Oath-Taking Ceremony
The BJP plans to turn the oath ceremony of its new Chief Minister into a grand event. More than 200 MPs and former MPs of the party, Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers of all NDA-ruled states will be present. The party has its eye on Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium for the event. The new government in the national capital is likely to be formed with the oath-taking ceremony of the chief minister and council of ministers around February 19-20.
What Delhi Expects from the New Government
As suspense brews over the new chief minister, people across Delhi have high expectations from the BJP. Continuous efforts will be required to complete the development projects that were stalled in the past 10 years and realise BJP's vision for a progressive Delhi.
With inputs from agencies
Image Source: Multiple agencies
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