Delhiites Will Have To Wait For New Govt As Oath Ceremony Unlikely Before Feb 15: Reports

The buzz over BJP's chief ministerial pick intensified after the party made a grand return to power in Delhi after a gap of more than 26 years, winning 48 seats in the 70-member Assembly.

Pravesh Verma, who defeated AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal from New Delhi by 4,089 votes, is a potential claimant to the top post.

Source : PTI

Delhi Government Oath: After a thumping win, the BJP government in Delhi is unlikely to take oath before February 15 due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled visit to the US next week, as per reports.

PM Modi will visit the US on February 12 and 13 and meet President Donald Trump for the first time since he took oath as the President of the United States for the second time. 

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said PM Modi’s visit will give further impetus and direction to the India-US bilateral relationship. PM Modi will be in France from February 10-12 to co-chair the AI Action Summit with French President Emmanuel Macron, Misri said.

Who Will Be Delhi CM?

The buzz over BJP's chief ministerial pick intensified after the party made a grand return to power in Delhi after a gap of more than 26 years, winning 48 seats in the 70-member Assembly.

Pravesh Verma, who defeated AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal from New Delhi by 4,089 votes, is a potential claimant to the top post in the upcoming BJP government.

Ashish Sood and former state general secretary (organisation) Pawan Sharma are also top contenders, as per a top BJP functionary in Delhi.

Sood, who won from Janakpuri by 18,766 votes, is a senior leader with some hands-on experience in administrative matters gained during BJP's rule in the South Delhi Municipal Corporation.

He is also BJP's in-charge for Goa, and co-in-charge for the party's Jammu and Kashmir unit. Sharma, who won from Uttam Nagar by 29,740 votes, is also a frontrunner for the chief minister's post, BJP leaders said. He is currently the BJP's co-incharge for Assam.

Other serious contenders for the top post include former Delhi BJP presidents Vijender Gupta and Satish Upadhyay. Gupta was the leader of the opposition in the previous Delhi Assembly and scored a hat-trick of wins from Rohini, winning by 37,816 votes.