The race for Delhi BJP president is heating up, and the delay in announcing the name has only added to the speculations. While party sources claim that there is no clarity on whether any name has been finalised yet, meetings are on to decide the name for the coveted post. Although names of a host of party hands are doing the rounds, BJP is likely to pick either its old hand Pawan Sharma or BJP MP Manoj Tiwari for the post.
According to sources, North East Delhi MP Manoj Tiwari has been approached by the party. However, there is no confirmation. The party MP is not only a popular face but also has with him the Purvanchali connection. Even in Bihar elections, Tiwari was one of the active party persons and was frequently seen with BJP national president Amit Shah.
Among few names are doing the rounds for the presidential post, sources say that Pawan Sharma is one of the frontrunner for the position. Senior most member of the Delhi team, Sharma has served the Delhi unit for long as vice-president as well as the general secretary. In 2013 Delhi Assembly elections, he won from Uttam Nagar constituency but lost to Naresh Balyan of AAP in 2015 Assembly polls..
It is learnt, that, a host of old party hands such as Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Goel, party MPs from Delhi Mahesh Giri and Parvesh Verma (son of former Delhi CM Saheb Singh Verma) are also in the race. Meanwhile, the chances of current president Satish Upadhyay appear slim owing to the 2015 Delhi polls debacle.
At present, the party faces major challenge to salvage its image from the 2015 Delhi Assembly polls’ crushing defeat, strategise for 2017 municipal corporation polls and ready up for 2019 lok Sabha elections. Upadhyay has been under fire for massive debacle that BJP suffered in 2015 Delhi Assembly polls.
“The new president will have to salvage the party’s image first of all. He faces the challenge to bring the party out of the massive 2015 Assembly polls’ defeat and ensure they win MCD polls, which are very crucial to party,” said a source. For the last seven years, BJP has been ruling the three civic corporations and the municipal corporation poll results could scuttle the anti-incumbency factor.