BJP to pick Delhi’s next CM today at legislative party meeting

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will decide on Delhi's next Chief Minister at its legislature party meeting scheduled for this evening at the party's Delhi unit office. The decision follows the BJP's resounding victory in the February 5 Delhi Assembly elections, ending the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) rule and returning to power in the capital after 26 years.

Party leaders confirmed that preparations for the crucial meeting, set to begin around 7 PM, are complete. During the session, the BJP's 48 MLAs will elect the Leader of the House in the Delhi Assembly, who will subsequently take charge as the Chief Minister. The meeting is being held in the presence of BJP's central observers, whose names are yet to be announced. Following the selection, the newly chosen Chief Minister will meet Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena at Raj Niwas to formally stake a claim to form the government.

Meanwhile, arrangements are in full swing for a grand swearing-in ceremony at Ramleela Ground on Thursday afternoon. The event is expected to witness a massive gathering of around 50,000 attendees, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union ministers, and Chief Ministers of NDA-ruled states.

Several names are being considered for the chief ministerial post, including Parvesh Verma, who defeated AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal; former Delhi BJP presidents Vijender Gupta and Satish Upadhyay; and other key leaders like Pawan Sharma, Ashish Sood, Rekha Gupta, and Shikha Rai. The names of Ravinder Indraj Singh, the MLA from the Bawana (SC) seat, and Kailash Gangwal, who secured a historic BJP win in Madipur (SC), are also being discussed.

Amid speculation, many within the party believe the BJP leadership may select a "dark horse" for the top post, following its recent strategy in Rajasthan, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh, where unexpected choices were made for Chief Ministerial positions.

With PTI inputs