New Delhi: Ending uncertainty, the BJP today named Harsh Vardhan as the party’s Chief Ministerial candidate for the December 4 Delhi Assembly elections despite opposition by city unit chief Vijay Goel who had staked claim for the post. The decision was taken at a meeting of party’s Parliamentary Board here. Party president Rajnath Singh made the announcement at press conference and said the decision was unanimous and that Goel also consented to it.
Singh was flanked by several senior leaders including veteran L K Advani, senior leaders Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Ananth Kumar and Delhi Election in-charge Nitin Gadkari. Vijay Goel and Harsh Vardhan were also both present at the press conference. All members of the Parliamentary Board were in the meeting except Narendra Modi who has given his consent to the decision, party sources said.The party expects that by presenting Vardhan, a former Health Minister who has a clean image, as the Chief Ministerial candidate it will be able to put up a tough fight to dethrone the Congress dispensation which has been in power for the last 15 years.
The decision by the party has come despite stiff opposition to Vardhan’s candidature by Vijay Goel. The internal squabbles in Delhi BJP over the issue had threatened to take its toll on the party’s campaign. A number of Delhi BJP leaders last week had conveyed to the party’s central leadership that they should announce the candidature of Vardhan, arguing that he has wider acceptability among people, party leaders and workers.BJP Presdient Rajnath Singh on Wednesday announced the name of former Health Minister Harsh Vardhan as its Chief Ministerial candidate for Delhi Assembly polls. “I congratulate Dr Harshvardhan in being chosen as BJP’s CM candidate for Delhi,” Singh said.
Decision on Vardhan’s name was taken by the party’s parliamentary board meet held in New Delhi today. Goel was already informed about the party’s move to nominate the four-time MLA for the top post. Goel had reportedly threatened to resign from the post of Delhi unit president when told about the likelihood of Harsh Vardhan being made the Chief Ministerial candidate.
Goel had on Monday sought an early decision on the issue but remained non-committal on supporting Vardhan if the former health minister was named for the post. Goel had met top brass of BJP including Rajnath Singh, Narendra Modi and Sushma Swaraj on Sunday and expressed his serious opposition to Vardhan’s candidature, arguing nearly 10 opinion polls had projected him as the most popular face for BJP’s chief ministerial candidate. The internal squabbles in Delhi BJP over the issue have taken its toll on the party’s campaign with a number of leaders reluctant to join the door-to-door campaign without a settlement of the leadership issue.
Bureau Report
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