Delhi BJP MLAs Meet On Monday, New Chief Minister Likely To Be Elected

The BJP Legislature Party is set to convene on February 17 to choose Delhi's new Chief Minister. Sources indicate that the swearing-in ceremony will occur on February 18, with expectations of a modest event. The BJP made a return to power in Delhi after 27 years.

In the recent Delhi elections, the BJP secured 48 out of 70 seats, marking its return to power after 27 years. The AAP managed to win only 22 seats, while the Congress failed to secure any.

Key Contenders for Chief Minister

Several names have surfaced as potential candidates for the Chief Minister position including Parvesh Verma, who defeated AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, prominent Sikh leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa, MP Manoj Tiwari, Hindutava face Kapil Mishra, woman leader Rekha Gupta, and stalwart Vijender Gupta.

The BJP's vote share in Delhi has seen a notable increase over the past decade. It rose by nearly 13 percentage points during this period. In contrast, AAP's vote share decreased by about 10 percentage points over the same timeframe.

Vote Share Dynamics

In the latest assembly elections, there was a narrow two per cent gap between the vote shares of BJP and AAP. The BJP captured a vote share of 45.56 per cent compared to AAP's 43.57 per cent. This marks a rise from BJP's previous vote shares of 38.51 per cent in 2020 and 32.3 per cent in 2015.

AAP experienced a decline in its vote share from previous elections. In 2020, it had garnered a vote share of 53.57 per cent and even higher at 54.5 per cent in 2015 when it won with substantial majorities of 67 and 62 seats respectively.

Congress' Performance

The Congress party did not win any seats in this election but saw a slight improvement in its vote share by 2.1 per cent from last time, reaching a total of 6.34 per cent. Previously, Congress held power in Delhi from 1998 to 2013.