BJP Continues To Keep Delhi CM Face A Mystery, New Govt Likely To Take Oath On Thursday: Reports

The identity of Delhi's new Chief Minister remains undisclosed as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which secured a decisive 48-22 victory over the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in this month's election, has yet to announce its candidate.

However, according to an NDTV report, the swearing-in ceremony is scheduled for 4:30 pm on Thursday.

The venue has not been officially confirmed, but it is likely to be Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in the capital.

The BJP's 48 newly-elected MLAs are expected to convene on Wednesday to select their leader, who will then succeed AAP's Atishi as Delhi's new Chief Minister.

Last week, it was reported that the process of forming the new Delhi government had been put on hold until Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned from his visit to France and the United States.

With the Prime Minister now back in India, he is expected to meet Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP President JP Nadda, and senior Delhi BJP leaders to finalise the key decisions.

Once the Prime Minister's meeting and the legislative party discussions take place, and a Chief Minister is selected, the BJP is planning a grand swearing-in ceremony to mark its return to power in Delhi after nearly three decades.

More than 200 former and current BJP MPs, the Chief Ministers of all BJP and allied states, as well as prominent state leaders and party workers, are expected to attend the event.

According to NDTV, a shortlist of 15 names has been finalised. The new Chief Minister, along with cabinet members and the Assembly Speaker, will be chosen from this list. It is expected that nine individuals will be selected, with Delhi initially having a total of eight ministers.

The frontrunner for the Chief Minister's post is two-time former MP Parvesh Verma, who defeated AAP leader and former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the New Delhi constituency.

Other names reportedly being considered for the top position include the BJP's Delhi unit president, Virendra Sachdeva, and Bansuri Swaraj, a first-time MP and daughter of the late former Union Minister Sushma Swaraj. Satish Upadhyay, regarded as the BJP's prominent Brahmin representative in Delhi, is also in contention.

The BJP's landslide victory in the February 5 election marked a remarkable comeback in the capital, winning 48 of the 70 Assembly seats after securing only 11 in the previous two elections combined.

AAP, which had been seeking a third consecutive term, struggled under the weight of multiple controversies, including allegations against its leader Arvind Kejriwal over the 'Sheesh Mahal' and liquor excise policy scandals.

These issues ultimately contributed to the party's significant defeat, as it managed to secure just 22 seats- a sharp decline from its sweeping victories of 67 seats in 2015 and 62 in 2020.

Meanwhile, the Congress suffered another electoral debacle, failing to win a single seat for the third consecutive Delhi Assembly election.