GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 17th Feb. The identity of New Delhi’s Chief Minister remains unknown as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) gears up to swear in its new leader following a resounding 48-22 victory over the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in this month’s election. Sources confirm that the oath-taking ceremony will take place at 4:30 pm on Thursday, though the venue is yet to be officially announced, with Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium being the likely location.
BJP’s 48 newly-elected Delhi MLAs will meet on Wednesday to select their leader, who is set to replace AAP’s Atishi as Chief Minister. Despite the delay in announcing the leader, attributed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s overseas trips, BJP sources suggest that discussions to finalize the decision will intensify now that Modi is back.
The meeting will involve Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, party chief JP Nadda, and Delhi’s leadership. A mega swearing-in ceremony is expected, with over 200 current and former BJP MPs, Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled states, and major party leaders in attendance.
A shortlist of 15 names has reportedly been finalized, with the final selection for the Chief Minister, Cabinet, and Assembly Speaker expected from this group. Parvesh Verma, a two-time former MP, who defeated Arvind Kejriwal in New Delhi, is the frontrunner for the position. Other contenders include Virendra Sachdeva, BJP Delhi unit leader; Bansuri Swaraj, first-time MP and daughter of the late Sushma Swaraj; and Satish Upadhyay, the BJP’s Brahmin face in Delhi.
The BJP’s return to power in Delhi follows a strong showing in the February 5 election, after winning 48 out of 70 seats. AAP’s performance faltered, winning only 22 seats, down from its 2015 sweep of 67 seats. Meanwhile, the Congress faced a humiliating defeat, failing to win a single seat for the third consecutive Delhi election.
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