Who will be the new chief minister of Delhi? As the dust settles on the election results, the focus has shifted to BJP's pick for the top post in the national capital.
Several BJP leaders are in contention for the chief ministerial post, including Parvesh Verma, the giant killer who defeated Arvind Kejriwal from New Delhi and Manoj Tiwari, the former Delhi BJP president. Some are speculating that BJP may opt for a woman chief minister, which puts leaders like Shikha Roy (who defeated Saurabh Bharadwaj from Greater Kailash) and Rekha Gupta (who beat Bandana Kumari from Shalimar Bagh) in the spotlight.
Delhi elections 2025: Full coverage
The saffron party has so far been tight-lipped about the next chief minister and refused to project a CM face during campaigning.
According to a report in The Indian Express, BJP is expected to factor in caste considerations while announcing the new chief minister of Delhi. Party sources told the newspaper that the deliberations will be taking place this week.
The report said that RSS is also expected to put forth its suggestions during the huddle this week.
The saffron party is also expected to finalise the pick for the new Delhi assembly speaker and discuss names for the Council of Ministers in the national capital. BJP may also consider a potential deputy chief minister in Delhi, the report said.
Sources told Indian Express that the representation of Brahmins will be taken into account since voters from the community played a crucial role in BJP's victory. The party is also likely to give representation to Punjabi and Jat communities, who also powered BJP's victory.
A leader told the newspaper that a balance of caste and community will be needed while finalising the structure of the new government in Delhi.
“The party already has Brahmin CMs (Rajasthan and Maharashtra), an OBC in Haryana and a Kshatriya in Uttar Pradesh. A balance of caste and community will be required,” the leader said.
A BJP leader told The Indian Express that the Jat community may get significant weight during the discussions since the group has not seen significant representation in BJP.
The leader added that other key criteria include "leaders with a clean image as far as the RSS’s recommendation is concerned," an "age cut-off of 55," and "organisational experience." Additionally, "at least one woman leader is likely to be picked for a significant post in the government or the Assembly."
'Parvesh ticks several boxes'
A source said that Parvesh Verma is the one leader that ticks several boxes. For instance, he is a prominent Jat leader, was one of the most popular campaigners during the elections and his father, Sahib Singh Verma, has also served as the chief minister.
Sources said that Pawan Sharma (who won from Uttam Nagar) is also one of the frontrunners for the CM post owing to his close ties to the old guard in Delhi BJP.
The report said that former Congress minister Arvinder Singh Lovely, Dalit leader Raj Kumar Chauhan and Vijender Gupta (who hails from Baniya community) are also among those in the fray.
BJP on Saturday scripted a stellar victory in the Delhi elections, reclaiming the national capital after 27 years. The saffron party won 48 out of 70 seats while AAP won the remaining 22.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
