With the BJP on the verge of reclaiming power in Delhi, the focus has been shifted to who will be the next chief minister of the national capital. Names are doing the round for the top contenders in the political circles after winning the assembly polls are Bansuri Swaraj, Virendra Sachdeva, Pravesh Verma, Vijender Gupta, Manoj Tiwari, Satish Upadhyay and Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Rekha Gupta.

The BJP has contested the polls without having a Chief Minister face and won the electoral with two-third majority, now the only question left to be answered is to find a party leader to lead the city government. Going by the practice, it is now entirely on the top leadership of the BJP to decide on the issue and make an announcement, which, according to sources, will be announced in the days to come and a surprise name can’t be ruled out.

However, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said the final decision would rest with the party’s central leadership. “The people have picked Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership because they wanted a model of development,” Sachdeva said. If recent decisions of the party to install Chief Ministers after decisive victories in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have any clue, the leadership may choose from among OBC or Jat MLAs to lead the government in the national capital. The BJP, known for its strategic unpredictability in key state appointments, could spring a surprise for the chief minister’s post.

Bansuri Swaraj, daughter of late Sushma Swaraj, is Member of Parliament from New Delhi. She is a vocal face who has strong reputation in state as well as central leadership on the BJP. Swaraj, a lawyer by profession, could be a probable choice as her mother was also CM of Delhi in 1998 after Sahib Singh Verma resigned.

Sachdeva is currently serving as Delhi BJP President who enjoys support of central leadership. Sachdeva was first promoted as acting chief after MCD elections and later his appointment was made permanent. In his leadership, the party has succeeded to win Delhi assembly elections after a gap of 27 years. In 2024 General Elections, the BJP had won all seven seats of Delhi defeating INDIA bloc’s candidates under his leadership. Though he has not contested but the party may show its faith in him.

Verma is the son of former Delhi CM Sahib Singh Verma. Verma, a two-time Member of Parliament from West Delhi, defeated AAP’s tallest leader Arvind Kejriwal from New Delhi assembly seat. BJP may consider his name as he is also a prominent Jat leader since the city has sizeble number of Jat votes.  Tiwari is the BJP MP from North-East Delhi and a former Delhi BJP president. Although he is not contesting the Assembly elections, he remains a strong contender for the CM post. He is a popular figure among Purvanchali voters in Delhi and enjoys significant popularity due to his career as a Bhojpuri film star.

Upadhyay, former President of the BJP Delhi Unit, has held various positions in the party over the last three decades. He contested the Delhi Assembly elections from the Malviya Nagar seat. As the counting of votes comes to an end, Upadhyay leads by a margin of 1,971 votes against AAP’s Somnath Bharti.

Gupta, a three time MLA, may be the BJP choice considering his experience as legislature and Leader of Opposition (Lop) in Delhi Assembly. Gupta was Delhi BJP President from 2010 to 2013 and won fron Rohini assembly seat during AAP’s strong wave. He is a strong Baniya face in the city.

Rekha Gupta has defeated AAP’s Vandana Kumari from Shalimar Bagh. She was councillor in the past and has good experience of public service.