Delhi: BJP to convene legislative party meeting on Sunday to finalise the CM pick
Post the landslide victory in the recently concluded Delhi Assembly polls, which extricated the BJP from a 27-year exile from the city government, the saffron party is likely to convene the legislative party meeting of its MLAs on Sunday to finalise the chief ministerial pick.
New Delhi: Post the landslide victory in the recently concluded Delhi Assembly polls, which extricated the BJP from a 27-year exile from the city government, the saffron party is likely to convene the legislative party meeting of its MLAs on Sunday to finalise the chief ministerial pick. Ahead of the crucial meeting, the Delhi BJP on Wednesday held a meeting of its 43 election committees to review the state election results.
According to a party insider, the BJP's legislative party meeting will be called after Prime Minister Narendra Modi returns from the two-nation tour. “Before the meeting, the national leadership will appoint a central observer to oversee the election of the legislative party leader.”
Apart from all the 48 newly elected MLAs, Delhi unit chief Virendra Sachdeva, state in-charge Baijayant Panda and the central appointed observer will be part of the meeting, which is likely to take place on Sunday at the city unit office.
Insiders claimed that “there is a possibility that the seven-member Cabinet, including the chief minister, may include a BJP MLA from each of Delhi’s seven Lok Sabha seats chosen to suit the party's caste combination and regional arithmetic.”
Last week on Sunday the state leadership held a separate meeting in the evening to gather feedback from the newly elected legislators. While MLAs are tight-lipped, sources said that leadership collected opinions of newly elected lawmakers about the leader of the BJP legislative party.
On Wednesday, the BJP’s election steering committee held a marathon meeting with members of over 43 committees, which were constituted with specific responsibilities related to the Delhi Assembly elections. At the meeting, the party's defeat in 22 seats was reviewed threadbare.
A highly-placed party claims that after winning a majority in the Assembly elections, the BJP is now eyeing mayoral polls. "Indications were given in the meeting to prepare for a triple-engine government in Delhi. The mayoral election is scheduled to be held in April," he said.
The BJP has returned to power in the national capital after 27 years, defeating the AAP in the Assembly polls. The AAP managed to win 22 of the 70 Assembly seats, while the Congress failed to open an account in the elections held on February 5.