BJP faces delay in choosing Delhi CM?

The new chief minister of Delhi should be chosen from the elected Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs, a section of party leaders said on Monday amid a buzz over the contenders' names for the top post.

The BJP is going to form its government in Delhi, following its victory in the assembly polls held on February 5.

The saffron party has ousted the AAP from power, winning 48 of the 70 seats in the election, the results of which were announced on Saturday.

"The new chief minister should be chosen from the newly-elected party MLAs," Bharatiya Janata Party's North West Delhi MP Yogender Chandolia told reporters.

He asserted that among the newly-elected MLAs, there are several competent leaders, including two former Delhi BJP presidents, one national secretary of the party and several former state functionaries who have long political experience.

Another senior Delhi BJP leader also pitched for the elevation of an MLA to the chief minister's post, saying it would honour the people's mandate the party has got.

There are also precedents set by senior party leaders in the past, he said, citing the example of BJP veteran Vijay Kumar Malhotra.

Malhotra was a Lok Sabha MP when he was declared as the party's chief ministerial face for the 2008 Delhi assembly polls. However, after the BJP was defeated in that election, he chose to be the leader of opposition in the assembly instead of retaining his seat in Parliament, the senior leader said.

BJP leaders said the process of government formation will start after Prime Minister Narendra Modi returns from his foreign visit around February 15. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva on Sunday sought an appointment with the lieutenant governor for his meeting with the party MLAs.

The date of a meeting of the BJP Legislature Party to elect the leader of the House in the Delhi assembly is yet to be finalised, they said.

The BJP has returned to power in the national capital after a gap of more than 26 years, breaking the political dominance of the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP for 10 years.

The speculation over the party's pick for the chief minister's post has intensified, with several names doing the rounds on the basis of their caste, community, gender and regional affiliations.

Among the newly-elected MLAs, the names of Parvesh Verma, the BJP's Jat face in the capital who defeated Kejriwal from the New Delhi seat, and former Delhi BJP presidents Vijender Gupta and Satish Upadhya have been cited as frontrunners for the chief minister's chair.

Other probables for the post include senior leaders Ashish Sood and Pawan Sharma, elected from Janakpuri and Uttam Nagar respectively.

Some leaders feel the party may also place its bets on women legislators like Rekha Gupta and Shikha Rai.

Laxmi Nagar MLA Abhay Verma, a Purvanchali leader, is also among the contenders for the top post.