Delhi Elections 2025: Who Will BJP’s CM Face?

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are in a tight race to win Delhi elections 2025. AAP, the incumbent ruling party since the past two elections that overwhelmingly swept power both in 2020 and in 2015, wants its third term running consecutively. Meanwhile, the BJP is eyeing its return. It’s their first entry back to Delhi for nearly three decades since its reign was stopped from here in the national capital, Delhi. The BJP, which recently won the elections in Maharashtra and Haryana by defying the exit polls, is now looking to repeat the same in Delhi. However, it will be a tough fight for the party as AAP looks to continue its reign in the city.

The question on everyone’s mind now is: Who will be the BJP’s face in Delhi? Should the saffron party manage to secure the magical 36-seat majority in the 70-seat assembly?

BJP’s Delhi CM Face: Who Will Lead If BJP Wins?

There are several names in the fray to become the Chief Minister if the BJP wins the election. Here are some of the key figures in the BJP who could lead the party in Delhi:

Parvesh Verma

Parvesh Verma, a two-time Member of Parliament (MP) from West Delhi. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has been fielded by the party from the New Delhi constituency in the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections. Born on November 7, 1977, Verma is the son of former Delhi Chief Minister Sahib Singh Verma.  Parvesh Verma has been a giant face of the BJP in the nation’s capital. Strong in his political presence, Verma has been all along with the BJP’s campaign and has an unshakeable base in Delhi. His style of leadership has done justice to him as a respected personality among BJP workers. He will be a potential candidate to be chosen as CM if the party is elected.

Parvesh Verma will run against AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal for the New Delhi assembly seat in the February 2025 Delhi assembly elections, according to the BJP’s first list of 29 candidates. In a three-way race for the New Delhi seat, former Lok Sabha MP Parvesh Verma will face off against AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal and Congressman Sandip Dixit.

He has served on several parliamentary committees, including the Joint Committee on Salaries and Allowances of Members of Parliament. Verma first made his mark in politics by winning the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from West Delhi, where he achieved a record victory margin of 2.6 lakh votes. He later won the 2019 elections by an even larger margin, making him a prominent political figure.

Kailash Gahlot

Kailash Gahlot, the former AAP leader and ex-minister in the Delhi government, switched to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) recenlty. Representing the Najafgarh constituency in the Delhi Assembly, Gahlot has held multiple important portfolios, including Transport, Environment, Revenue, and Law, under the Arvind Kejriwal-led government. His induction into the BJP is being seen as a significant political move, with the party hoping his experience and leadership will bolster its chances in the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections.

Born in Mitraun village in Najafgarh on July 22, 1974, Gahlot is a well-educated advocate with degrees in Law and a long career in both the Delhi High Court and Supreme Court. However, his tenure in the Delhi government was marked by controversy, particularly in 2018, when the Income Tax department conducted raids linked to allegations of tax evasion. Gahlot’s decision to join the BJP came after he criticized AAP’s political shift, accusing the party of deviating from its principles and focusing more on its ambitions than the people’s needs.

Gahlot’s move to the BJP has fueled speculation about his potential as the party’s Chief Ministerial candidate if it wins the upcoming elections.

Kapil Mishra

Kapil Mishra, a former AAP leader and ex-member of the Delhi Legislative Assembly, represented the Karawal Nagar constituency. He initially won the seat in the 2015 Delhi elections with a margin of 44,431 votes, defeating the BJP’s Mohan Singh Bisht. Mishra was inducted as the water resources minister in the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government, but was removed after accusing Chief Minister Kejriwal and fellow minister Satyendar Jain of corruption, alleging they took a Rs 2 crore bribe. However, he could not substantiate the claims.

Mishra’s discontent with AAP grew over time, leading him to publicly support BJP leaders and campaign against his own party during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. His anti-party activities led to his disqualification as an MLA under the anti-defection law in August 2019. Soon after, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with leaders like Manoj Tiwari and Vijay Goel welcoming him into the fold.

Given his political experience and strong opposition to AAP, Kapil Mishra is now seen as a potential CM candidate for BJP in the upcoming Delhi elections.

Manjinder Singh Sirsa

A major Sikh leader in the BJP, Manjinder Singh Sirsa has been an important political figure in Delhi. Sirsa, the BJP’s candidate from Rajouri Garden, is one of the richest candidate with declared assets worth Rs 248 crore. Sirsa, 52, two-time MLA, is once again contesting the seat of Rajouri Garden in the Delhi Assembly elections on a BJP ticket.

Sirsa had made his mark by ending Congress’s dominance in the constituency in 2013, followed by wresting it from AAP in a 2017 bypoll. The present triangular contest between Congress, AAP and himself has left him confident of securing a third victory. He was the president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, so he has much political experience. Due to his position as the president of BJP and his continuous victory in the polls, he is also a likely Chief Ministerial candidate for BJP if they succeed in the Delhi elections.

Satish Upadhyay

Satish Upadhyay was born on 6 March 1962. Satish Upadhyay is a seasoned BJP leader with considerable political experience. He is currently the Vice Chairman of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and has been the President of the Delhi BJP unit since 2014. Upadhyay has a long history of active participation in student politics, having been the youngest Vice President of the Delhi University Student Union in 1982. His association with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) shaped his early political journey.

Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Delhi University, Upadhyay held key positions within the BJP’s youth wing, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), including President of BJYM, Delhi State, from 2002 to 2004. He has been instrumental in shaping BJP’s strategy in Delhi, particularly during elections. He is also considered a potential Chief Ministerial candidate for the party in the upcoming Delhi elections, given his leadership experience within both the BJP and Delhi’s political landscape.

While the party has several stalwarts, who have their strengths and support base, it remains to be seen which one wins in the actual elections and whether the BJP top leadership decides it to be their chief minister.

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