News Brief
Who Will Be Delhi’s Next CM? BJP Weighs Key Contenders, Swearing-In Expected By 20 February
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The swearing-in ceremony of Delhi’s new Chief Minister is expected to take place on either 19 or 20 February, India Today reported citing government sources.
The BJP legislative party is expected to meet on 17 or 18 February to finalise the name of the next Delhi CM.
The preparations for government formation in Delhi is expected to escalate once Prime Minister Narendra Modi returns to the capital late on Friday (14 February).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP President J P Nadda, and senior BJP leaders are set to convene for discussions on government formation.
The BJP has reportedly shortlisted 15 MLAs from its 48-member legislative group, with nine set to be chosen for the roles of Chief Minister, ministers, and Speaker.
The Aam Aadmi Party, which governed Delhi for a decade, won 22 seats, with its top leaders, including Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, suffering defeats.
With no pre-declared Chief Ministerial candidate, the BJP has begun high-level deliberations to choose the next head of government, with five leaders emerging as frontrunners.
Parvesh Verma, who delivered a major upset by defeating Arvind Kejriwal in the New Delhi seat, is the frontrunner for the Chief Ministerial position.
Other key contenders include Vijender Gupta, a senior BJP leader and former Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly; Satish Upadhyay, a prominent Brahmin face and former state president; Ashish Sood, Delhi BJP’s general secretary with strong ties to central leadership; and Jitendra Mahajan, an RSS-backed leader from the Vaishya community.
