Vijay Kumar Malhotra BJP's chief ministerial candidate for Delhi

New Delhi, Sept 26 : Senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Vijay Kumar Malhotra will be the party's chief ministerial candidate in the upcoming elections for Delhi.

The party announced this in New Delhi today after hours long meeting.

"The election of Delhi state Assembly is round the corner. After consulting the party workers and the leadership it has been decided to field Doctor Vijay Kumar Malhotra as the chief ministerial candidate and he will lead the party in the elections," told senior party leader Arun Jaitley, in a news conference.

Speaking to reporters Malhotra said he would be making all efforts to win the elections.

"The confidence, central leadership of the party has shown in me for the forthcoming elections, with the help of party workers I will try my best to come true on their expectations to win the state elections as well as the seven parliamentary seats in the Lok Sabha elections," said Malhotra.

With Delhi state assembly elections barely two months away the party's apex decision-making body 'Central Parliamentary Board' decided the name of Malhotra over Harsh Vardhan, Vijay Goel and Jagdish Mukhi.

Media reports said that initially, the top brass of the BJP wanted to field Arun Jaitley for the post but the leader himself declined the offer.

The current incumbent Congress party with Sheila Dikshit at the helm of affairs has come under scanner for issues more than one.

The most obvious are the issues of rising inflation and terrorist activities which are expected to become the main planks of the BJP's agenda for the state elections.

ANI