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The political scenario in Delhi will undergo a drastic change this Thursday, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) gearing up to take oath of office of Chief Minister of the city following a landslide victory in this month’s assembly polls. The swearing-in ceremony, which has been planned for 4:30 PM on February 20, will witness the return of the BJP to office in the national capital after a gap of 27 years.
Though the name of the new Chief Minister is not known, it has been confirmed by sources that the BJP is ready to seal its decision after a decisive party legislative assembly meeting. The site for the oath-taking, while not officially announced, is likely to be the historic Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi, a venue apt for a grand spectacle of the party’s triumph.
The BJP’s record electoral performance has put it strongly in power in Delhi, where it won 48 seats of the 70-member legislative assembly in the elections on February 5. This was a resounding turnaround for the party’s earlier electoral defeats, as it had won only 11 seats in the last two assembly polls. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of Arvind Kejriwal was given a crushing blow, winning only 22 seats, a far cry from its previous wins of 67 and 62 seats in 2015 and 2020, respectively.
With the BJP now firmly at the wheel, the focus shifts to the choice of the next Chief Minister. Officially, nothing has been said, but a list of 15 has been shortlisted, with nine people in the running for important positions, including the Chief Minister, the Cabinet ministers, and the Speaker of the Assembly.
Key Contenders for Chief Minister
One of the top contenders for the job of Chief Minister is Parvesh Verma, a twice-former Member of Parliament who was in the news after beating Arvind Kejriwal in the closely fought New Delhi constituency. Verma, who has become a popular figure with his win over the AAP leader, is the choice of choice for most of those in the BJP. But Verma is modest when asked about chances, saying he was ready to agree with whatever decision the party leadership arrived at.
The other likely contender is Virendra Sachdeva, the present Delhi unit president of the BJP, who has been a major political player in the city for many years. Yet another contender considered to be a possible candidate for the top spot is Bansuri Swaraj, who is an MP for the first time and is the daughter of the late Sushma Swaraj. Her political lineage and association with the late Union Minister have given her immense popularity within the party.
Other key contenders shortlisted are Satish Upadhyay, a respected figure of Brahmin face in the BJP, and Vijender Gupta, ex-president of the Delhi BJP. Gupta’s political experience and leadership in the party weigh heavily in his favor. Ashish Sood and Jitendra Mahajan, both prominent Delhi BJP figures with strong RSS links, are also being considered.
BJP’s Strategic Planning for the Ceremony
The BJP leadership, which includes Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and party president JP Nadda, is likely to sit down in the coming days to finalize the choice of the Chief Minister and other top positions. After the leader is finalized, the BJP will organize a grand swearing-in ceremony, which is likely to be graced by more than 200 senior BJP leaders. These include retired and serving Members of Parliament, BJP-ruled state chief ministers, leading state leaders, and party cadres.
The selection of the Chief Minister will indicate the party’s agenda as it gets set to rule Delhi. With the BJP looking to consolidate its footprint in the capital, the induction of the new CM is being viewed as vital to determining the party’s destiny in the area.
The defeat of the AAP, which was seeking a third consecutive term in office, is attributed to several factors. Key among them were the controversies surrounding the party’s leadership, including the “Sheesh Mahal” scandal and issues related to Delhi’s liquor excise policy. These challenges, combined with allegations against Arvind Kejriwal and other senior leaders, contributed to the party’s sharp decline in the polls.
At the same time, the Congress party experienced its third successive electoral loss in Delhi, securing not a single seat. This highlights the increasing BJP dominance of the capital, a development that marks a dramatic change in Delhi’s political landscape.
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