The Hindu : New Delhi News : BJP yet to finalise names for Delhi polls

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BJP yet to finalise names for Delhi polls

Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar

Three main contenders for Chief Minister’s post: V.K. Malhotra, Harsh Vardhan and Vijay Goel

To give party ticket to all the 20 sitting MLAs
No ticket for those who contested 2007 MCD elections

NEW DELHI: While the Bharatiya Janata Party had long ago announced that L.K. Advani would be its Prime Ministerial candidate and has been quick to project its Chief Ministerial candidates in the past for various States including Delhi, Rajasthan and Gujarat, its dilly-dallying on the issue this time round ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections is being seen by many as an attempt to contain infighting among a large number of Chief Ministerial aspirants.

Indications are that a name may be announced for the post in October, especially since the Congress would be going to the polls with the aim of securing a record third term for Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.

There remain three major contenders for the post in the party. Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and the MP from South Delhi, Vijay Kumar Malhotra, is the most senior leader running for the post. Though on turning 75 he had declared that he would not be running for the post, he is still very much in the race. Delhi BJP president Harsh Vardhan is considered by many to be the “natural choice” for the post. His past work as Delhi Health Minister, when he launched the Pulse Polio programme, his honesty, and his belief that he is not above the party hold him in good stead. Many feel that if the party wins then he would become Chief Minister and so there is no need to rake up the issue at the present juncture.

But BJP general secretary Vijay Goel, who feels he was deprived of the post of Delhi BJP president last year, is in no mood to relent. In the recent past he has organised big rallies of the Vaish community, senior citizens and party workers on various issues, the most notable being the Ramlila Maidan rally on the issue of unauthorised colonies, to show that he can mobilise the party and workers like none else.

The fight for being projected as the Chief Ministerial candidate is getting keener as the party is definitely fancying its chances in the upcoming elections and has already taken two major decisions to overcome avoidable rifts: it has decided in principle to give party ticket to all the 20 sitting MLAs and to not allow any person who had contested the 2007 Municipal Corporation of Delhi elections to contest the Assembly polls.

“This has simplified the process of selection of candidates. Also, now the municipal councillors and those who had lost the MCD elections know that they would have to support the party’s candidates,” said a senior leader. However, one intriguing aspect still remains. There are several old hands vying for the party ticket who the leaders believe would find it difficult to win.

As for the sitting MLAs, the only problem that still remains is that while they all know that they would get the ticket, they have not been sounded on the constituencies. A senior party leader said that while in the past the party had often ensured that most of the Assembly tickets went as per the choice of the party’s area MP, this time even that process has not been taking place.

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