As the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) marks the historic victory in the capital after a gap of 27 years, the question now is: who is in the fray for the CM’s face? Out of 70 members of the Delhi assembly, the BJP has won with a huge majority of 48 seats. The saffron party will be, for the first time in about 27 years, having a chief minister face in the national capital. The last BJP Chief Minister of Delhi was the late Sushma Swaraj in 1998.
The BJP has till now not declared a CM face for Delhi. Delhi BJP Chief Virendra Sachdeva stated that the party’s central leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, will make the final decision. On Sunday, a delegation of the BJP’s winning candidates, led by BJP Delhi President Virendra Sachdeva, met Lieutenant Governor (L-G.) VK Saxena.
Factors that matter
In the Delhi CM’s post, the saffron party is considering several factors to pick its choice. As per caste, it will be a factor in the decision expected this week, with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the BJP expected to go into a huddle.
In a report published by The Indian Express, ‘The RSS will make suggestions based on several factors, including the support extended to the BJP by votes from a particular caste or community,’ a senior BJP leader was quoted.
BJP is also expected to finalise names for a potential Deputy CM, the speaker of the Delhi Assembly, and 7 ministers in the cabinet. Brahmins, Jats, and Punjabi communities are the major contributors to BJP’s victory in Delhi. The party will keep these communities in mind, as per the sources.
Will Jat lead as Delhi CM?
If the BJP appoints a Chief Minister in Delhi, it will mark the first time in decades that all three key states in the National Capital Region (NCR)—Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi—will have BJP leaders at the helm. Even PM Modi highlighted this achievement in his victory speech on results day.
Currently, the BJP has a Brahmin chief minister in Rajasthan, an OBC leader in Haryana, and a Thakur face in Uttar Pradesh. The choice of Delhi’s CM is expected to align with the party’s strategy of caste representation. Some reports suggest that a Jat leader could emerge as CM of Delhi.
This week, the party is likely to appoint 2 observers for the process of picking the Delhi CM. BJP National President JP Nadda will also conduct a meeting of its 11-member Parliamentary Board.
Who’s in the Race for CM?
Several names are emerging as frontrunners for the chief minister’s position. Among them is Parvesh Verma, a Jat leader, who emerged as a giant leader by defeating former CM Arvind Kejriwal from the New Delhi seat. Other strong players include Vijender Gupta from the Baniya community, who secured victory in Rohini, and Arvinder Singh Lovely, who won from Gandhi Nagar. Raj Kumar Chauhan, a Dalit leader, emerged victorious in MangolPuri, while Shikha Roy, a Thakur, defeated AAP minister Saurabh Bharadwaj in Greater Kailash. Satish Upadhyay, a Brahmin leader, also made his mark by defeating Somnath Bharti in Malviya Nagar. The BJP reclaimed power in Delhi by ousting the AAP, which had governed the capital for 11 years. This marks the party’s return to power in Delhi after 27 years.
Edited by Shubham Singh
Also Read: https://theglobalic.com/2025/02/08/bjp-victory-in-delhi-assembly-after-three-decades/
