The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s newly-elected lawmakers will meet around 7pm on Wednesday to pick the next Delhi chief minister 11 days after the party was voted back to power in the national Capital after 27 years.
BJP leaders remained tight-lipped over who would be the chief minister. Parvesh Verma, who defeated former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Rekha Gupta, Vijender Gupta, Satish Upadhyay, Ashish Sood, Pawan Sharma, and Ajay Mahawar were among the front runners for the post.
The BJP ended the decade-long Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) rule by winning 48 seats in the 70-member House. The AAP bagged 22 seats.
The swearing-in ceremony of the new chief minister is scheduled for Thursday morning at the Ramlila Maidan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah, BJP chief JP Nadda, and most of the chief ministers of National Democratic Alliance-ruled states were among those likely to attend the swearing-in ceremony.
A BJP leader said efforts were being made to make the swearing-in ceremony grand. Leading Bollywood singers were expected to perform before the ceremony.
At least three lawmakers said they have been asked to be at the Delhi BJP office for the legislature party meeting on Wednesday. “The meeting is likely to begin soon after the MLAs [members of legislative assembly] gather at the party office possibly between 6:30pm-7pm…senior leaders as observers representing the central leadership will take feedback. Soon after the meeting, the name of the new chief minister is likely to be announced,” said a BJP leader.
The lawmakers were then expected to meet Lieutenant governor (LG) VK Saxena to stake claim to form the next government. “In Delhi, the President appoints the chief minister. The LG will send the claim of the BJP CM [chief minister]-elect to the president for approval…after the President’s nod, the LG will administer the oath of office and secrecy to the new CM and Cabinet members,” said one of the lawmakers.
The Cabinet is likely to have Jat, Dalit, Purvanchali, Sikh, Uttarakhandi, and Baniyas representation.
A banner with “Dilli Me Bhajpa Sarkar (BJP government in Delhi)” has been installed at the Delhi BJP office ahead of the legislature party meeting. A red carpet has been rolled out at the office decorated with flags and banners. A galley has been reserved for the journalists.
BJP leaders were monitoring the arrangements at the office. Banners welcoming the newly elected lawmakers have also been put up.
The BJP’s victory in Delhi strengthened the party’s claim as the national political hegemon after the setback of the failure to secure a full majority on its own in the 2024 national elections. A landslide victory in Maharashtra and an unexpected win in Haryana preceded the Delhi polls.