BJP to fight Delhi polls under V K Malhotra's leadership

New Delhi, Sep 26 (UNI) The BJP today announced that the party would fight the coming Delhi Assembly polls under the leadership of senior leader Prof Vijay Kumar Malhotra as its Chief Ministerial candidate.

The announcement came after the Parliamentary Board, the apex decision-making body of the party, met here this morning under the chairmanship of BJP president Rajnath Singh, party General Secretary Arun Jaitley said.

Delhi Pradesh BJP President Dr Harsh Vardhan and Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly Prof Jagdish Mukhi were present when the announcement was made for the elections to the state assembly due in November 2008.

Mr Jaitley said Prof Malhotra was the seniormost leader of the party right from the Jan Sangh days as Chief Executive Councillor of Delhi. The leadership had recognised his experience and contributions to the party and the administration.

Prof Malhotra on his part said that he would live up to the faith reposed in him by the party to win the assembly polls and all the seven Lok Sabha seats. Priority would be given to water and power supply and improve the infrastructure in the national capital.

The city would be developed into a world class city where poor and roofless people would have a pride place and the administration would be alive to the threats posed to the national security.

Dr Harsh Vardhan said the party was sure to achieve success under Mr Malhotra's leadership and Delhi would be 'liberated' from the clutches of 10 years of corrupt and inefficient SheilA Dikshit government in the state.

Prof Mukhi said the people of Delhi still were fondly remembering the good old days when Prof Malhotra was the Chief of Delhi Metropolitan Council. The partymen always regarded Mr Malhotra as the living encyclopaedia acknowledging his knowledge of the city and its administration.

Asked about the absence of Mr Vijay Goel, one of the chief contenders for the Chief Ministerial post, Mr Jaitley said Mr Goel was attending the Haryana BJP Executive meeting in his capacity as party incharge.

Mr Jaitley said the Parliamentary Board had discussed the political situation in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and the decisions taken would be made known to the media.

Asked if the BJP would also take decisions on projecting CM candidates in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh where the party was in power, Mr Jaitley said the incumbent Chief Ministers were regarded as 'successful CMs' and that itself should spell clear indications, he said.

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