BJP looks at its MLAs for Delhi’s new CM

According to sources, the caller Cabinet’s creation is expected to bespeak Delhi’s divers societal fabric, drafting representatives from assorted communities, including Punjabi, Baniya and Purvanchali, arsenic good arsenic ensuring practice for women, SC, OBC, and Brahmin communities.

Among the criteria being discussed to shortlist names are a “clean nationalist image”, not being much than 60 years of property and “preference” for leaders whose emergence and autumn has been tied to BJP-RSS organisation successful the Capital since they entered progressive politics.

A BJP person confirmed that the Chief Minister’s station volition spell to a serving MLA alternatively than an MP. “The enactment leadership, however, hasn’t wholly closed the doorway connected including caller defectors similar Arvinder Singh Lovely successful the Cabinet,” a elder person said.

Speaking to mediapersons connected the sidelines of an lawsuit connected Thursday, BJP nationalist president J P Nadda said, “Selecting the Delhi CM volition not beryllium a pugnacious telephone astatine all. It volition beryllium decided wrong 15 minutes erstwhile the enactment enactment meets.”

The enactment process is expected to prime up gait aft Prime Minister Narendra Modi returns from his overseas sojourn implicit the weekend, said sources.

Ashish Sood is among the apical contenders for the CM’s post, sources said. A long-standing organisational man, helium had served arsenic councillor arsenic good arsenic Leader of the House successful the erstwhile South MCD and was besides the enactment Goa in-charge and J&K co-incharge.

Considered adjacent to Nadda and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Sood won from Janakpuri by a borderline of astir 19,000 votes this election. In 2020, helium had mislaid the seat.

He was wide caput of the BJP younker wing, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), earlier being elevated arsenic its nationalist vice president. In 2008, helium was appointed caput of Delhi BJP and aboriginal wide secretary, earlier being elected arsenic a councillor successful the then-SDMC.

According to sources successful the BJP, what works successful Sood’s favour is that helium is 1 of Delhi BJP’s salient Punjabi-speaking leaders and enjoys backing from the RSS. He is besides perceived to beryllium adjacent to the BJP’s apical leadership. His governmental travel began with ABVP earlier helium joined the enactment ranks.

Another enactment person said the CM station whitethorn besides spell to a woman. “The CM is astir apt to beryllium chosen from among women arsenic good arsenic Punjabi and Jat leaders. Right now, the enactment seems to beryllium leaning towards making a Punjabi person the CM.”

“Senior leaders with decades of legislative acquisition specified arsenic Vijender Gupta and Mohan Singh Bisht volition beryllium fixed important responsibilities, astir apt successful the Delhi Assembly,” a root added.

Another elder person considered to beryllium successful the moving for the CM station is Rekha Gupta, an aged RSS manus who joined the Sangh’s students wing, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, paving the mode for her to beryllium elected arsenic DUSU president successful the precocious 1990s.

In summation to being the caput of BJYM’s Delhi unit, which she besides served arsenic the nationalist secretary, Gupta has been elected arsenic a councillor, wide caput of Delhi BJP’s Mahila Morcha and a subordinate of the BJP’s National Executive.

Shikha Roy, a two-time BJP councillor from Greater Kailash, who deed headlines aft she unfurled the Tricolour astatine Lal Chowk successful Srinagar during a curfew successful 2011, is besides being considered arsenic a important frontrunner. She had unsuccessfully contested from Kasturba Nagar constituency successful 2015 and Greater Kailash successful the 2020 polls. In summation to serving arsenic the Leader of the House, she was chairperson of the past SDMC Standing Committee and held organisational posts specified arsenic secretary, wide caput and vice-president of the Delhi BJP.

Satish Upadhyay, erstwhile Delhi BJP president and vice-chairperson of the New Delhi Municipal Council, is besides being considered a frontrunner. He has served successful organisational posts specified arsenic Delhi BJP vice-president and chairperson of the SDMC Standing Committee, among others.