New Delhi (13.02.2025): The BJP has surprised the country by winning 2025 Delhi Assembly elections when Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was dubbed to be invincible in the city. Will people of Delhi get another surprise when the name of new Delhi Chief Minister is announced. The past records of the BJP suggest that every prediction goes wrong and every guess falls flat. Still more than half a dozen names are doing rounds and arguments are being given in their favor? Who all are they?

Surprise of all Surprises: Nothing could be a bigger surprise than appointing former Union Minister Smriti Irani as Delhi Chief Minister. She belongs to Delhi, a very articulate and aggressive leader which is required to deal with likes of AAP. She lost 2024 Amethi Lok Sabha election but if she is accommodated in Delhi, she would certainly be able to win over a huge section of women voters especially the young generation. She will not only be able to deal with AAP but may corner the Congress. She is a known tough and bitter critique of the Congress especially Rahul Gandhi.  

A Jat face: The giant killer who defeated former AAP Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal the way Sheila Dikshit was defeated. Parvesh Verma is young, dynamic and belongs to the Jat community. His appointment will help Jats to remain glued to the BJP not only in Delhi but in UP, Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab. He is a Hindutva face too. Moreover, there is a perception that he was denied Lok Sabha ticket for being fielded in Delhi Assembly with specific purpose. So, if the BJP surprises by not giving a surprising name, Verma stands a good chance of leading the government in the city. He is here to get some good assignment for sure if not the CM.

Dalit CM for Delhi: If anyone who stands a very strong chance of becoming Delhi Chief Minister after Verma, it is Dushyant Kumar Gautam. Though he lost his Assembly election to Vishesh Ravi from Karol Bagh seat, the national General Secretary of the party has the blessings of the top leadership of the party. A Dalit by caste suits the equation that the BJP wants in Delhi. Across states the saffron party has OBC, Brahmin, Rajput and Scheduled Tribe CMs but no Dalit CM. Appointment of Gautam will serve the purpose of winning over Dalit votes not only in Delhi for future elections but also year-end elections in Bihar too. The only problem with his candidature is that he lost Assembly election.

Wooing Aadhi Aabadi (half population): Another giant killer, who defeated one of the most vocal faces of AAP Saurabh Bharadwaj from Greater Kailash constituency, Shikha Rai is also a contender for the post for being a woman. Though electoral success of Rai is not as good as Verma still she stands a chance. She lost couple of elections before getting elected to Delhi Assembly. She is a former general secretary of the Delhi BJP. Her chances of becoming CM are on the count that the BJP wants more and more women in the leadership role. If the party decides to go for a women CM, Rai has a very strong chance for her good equations with top leadership.

To keep Punjabi votes intact: Former Delhi University Students Union president and councillor from Janak Puri Ashish Sood too is in the reckoning and may prove to be a surprise for many. As in-charge of Jammu and Kashmir, Sood delivered. A hard working and committed worker who knows Delhi better than many of his contemporaries and could prove to be useful for the development of Delhi as Chief Minister. Punjabi votes have always been important to the BJP and Sood’s appointment as Delhi CM will further consolidate Punjabi votes for the BJP. 

Poorvanchali voters matter: Though the name of Satish Upadhyay is also doing round but he has the least chances of becoming the CM. The only possibility is due to his proximity with top leadership. Upadhyay was part of the BJP organization when PM Narendra Modi was also part of the same organizational set up. One can recall that during last Assembly elections campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed him as his friend. His Poorvanchali identity may also work in his favour, but he doesn’t have any impact among them.

CM from the most committed voters: Active in politics from the time of her student days, Rekha Gupta may hit the jackpot of being Delhi CM for not only being a woman but also belonging to the community, the Vaishyas, that have always been the most committed voters. Former DUSU president, Councillor and state BJP General Secretary too has the chances. This will help the BJP to consolidate Vaishya community voters a section of which was shifted to AAP for Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi. The community is a traditional BJP voter but doesn’t have representation on the top. The community is spread in almost every north Indian state. 

However, the names of Manoj Tiwari, Bansuri Swaraj, Karnail Singh and Manjinder Singh Sirsa are also doing round but there are very little chances of anyone being appointed as Delhi CM.

(By Rakesh Ranjan)

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