BJP meet over Delhi CM likely today, 2 observers to take part

The newly elected BJP MLAs in Delhi are likely to meet on Monday to elect the Chief Minister. The BJP has instructed all 48 of its legislators to be prepared for a potential legislature party meeting, where two central observers will oversee the CM election process.

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Sunday meet put off due to stampede

The BJP’s meeting to pick Delhi CM was reportedly scheduled for Sunday, but was postponed due to the railway station stampede

The meeting, it is learnt, was initially scheduled for Sunday, but it was postponed due to the tragic stampede at New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday night. The names of the central observers for the meeting are yet to be announced.

Hectic discussions are underway to finalise the CM candidate. The BJP has returned to power in Delhi after a gap of 27 years. The last BJP Chief Minister in Delhi was the late Sushma Swaraj in 1998. This time, the CM will be chosen from among the elected MLAs, and the party is unlikely to appoint a deputy CM, given the small size of the Delhi Assembly (70 members) and the absence of coalition pressures. In states where the BJP has appointed deputy CMs, the decisions were driven either by the need to manage coalition partners or the large size of the Assemblies. The party has deputy CMs in states like Maharashtra, where it has an alliance with the Shiv Sena and the NCP, Madhya Pradesh (234-member Assembly). In Delhi, the BJP has a clear majority, eliminating the need for such compromises.

Sources indicate that caste considerations will play arole in the selection of the CM. There is a growing demand for a Jat or Dalit leader to be chosen. The Tribune had yesterday reported how the chorus was growing for a Jat or a Dalit CM in Delhi.