The BJP, which stormed to power in Delhi after 27 years, is likely to finalise its Chief Minister on Monday, ending days of suspense over who will head the government in the national capital, sources said. The swearing-in ceremony of the new government is likely to be held on February 18, they added.
High-level deliberations have been underway in Delhi over the past few days to finalise names for the top post. However, the party leadership has remained tight-lipped, even as several names, including Parvesh Verma, Ashish Sood, and Rekha Gupta, among others, have been speculated.
The party had announced that it would stake claim to form the government in Delhi after Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned from his US visit.
Parvesh Verma, who defeated AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal; Ashish Sood, the Delhi BJP general secretary known for his close ties with central leaders; Rekha Gupta, a prominent woman face; Vijender Gupta, a senior BJP leader and former Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly; Satish Upadhyay, a prominent Brahmin leader and former state president; and Jitendra Mahajan, a strong RSS representative from the Vaishya community, are among the top contenders.
Party leaders have hinted at the possibility of the national leadership naming a woman as the Chief Minister or selecting an entirely fresh face. Shikha Roy, who won in Greater Kailash by defeating AAP heavyweight Saurabh Bharadwaj, is another prominent woman face reportedly under consideration.
According to sources, 15 MLAs have been shortlisted for key ministerial posts. The party sources have also mentioned that the new government is unlikely to have a Deputy Chief Minister.
A meeting is also likely to be held between Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP President JP Nadda, and other top BJP leaders to finalise the matter, party sources said earlier.
The BJP wrested power from the AAP by winning 48 out of 70 seats in the just-concluded Delhi assembly polls. The AAP, which ruled Delhi for more than 10 years, ended up winning just 22 seats in the hotly contested elections, the results of which were declared on February 8.
