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Going by the precedent followed in recent elections in Maharashtra, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh, the BJP may go for an elected MLA as the Delhi CM
The BJP returned to power in Delhi after a long gap of 27 years. (Image: PTI/File)
It is difficult to predict who the BJP will choose as chief minister after an election win. The situation is similar in Delhi, where the saffron party returned to power after 27 years, as there is much speculation over a bunch of names.
Going by the precedent followed by the BJP in recent elections in Maharashtra, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh, it may go in for an elected MLA as the CM.
That brings five names into focus – Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma, who defeated Arvind Kejriwal and whose father was CM three decades ago; Vijender Gupta, former LoP with the highest victory margin among BJP candidates; Shikha Roy, the lone woman on this list who defeated AAP heavyweight Saurabh Bharadwaj; Satish Upadhyay, a former state unit chief; and Manjinder Singh Sirsa, the BJP’s Sikh face in the national capital.
If the BJP chooses not to make an MLA the CM, it has various choices in its MPs as well as state president Virender Sachdeva, who played a key role in ending infighting in the BJP state unit. Since Delhi does not have a legislative council, the party will have to go in for a bypoll on a seat and vacate a sitting MLA to make way for a non-MLA to make them CM. This would put MPs like Manoj Tiwari, Bansuri Swaraj, and Ramvir Singh Bidhuri on the list of potential CMs.
Given that Purvanchali voters played a key role in the BJP’s Delhi win and the next election is in Bihar, the party may factor in that as well. Party sources said a grassroots ‘karyakarta’, who has risen through the ranks, may be rewarded as the BJP has come to power after a long gap.
This choice may be dictated by the fact that the CM needs to hit the ground running when it comes to development in Delhi “as the results of a BJP government need to show in the streets of Delhi within six months or so”, a senior BJP leader said.
So a “development-oriented” face could be the choice. That said, it may still be a complete surprise that could stump all.
There is also talk that the BJP may go in for a deputy CM in Delhi to balance out the caste equations. It made two deputies in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Rajasthan last year. But, there is none in Haryana.
Hence, there is no fixed formula when it comes to appointing deputy CMs. Delhi is a small assembly with 70 seats, but the party may still want to maintain balance here.
