AGENCY
NEW DELHI, Feb 11
Parvesh Verma, the BJP’s Jat face in New Delhi, may become the next chief minister of the state, according to reports. Verma turned a giant killer in the Assembly elections after defeating AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal in the New Delhi seat.
Verma has won the approval of the RSS, and both the BJP and RSS are united in this decision, ABP News quoted unnamed sources. The Jat leader has also met Union Home Minister Amit Shah after the elections, adding to the speculations. It is believed that Verma was chosen by the top leadership to take on Kejriwal in New Delhi, hinting that the party has full faith in him.
His stature as a Jat leader will also come into play when choosing the Chief Minister, as the BJP wants to appease the community. The Jats feel that there is no place for them in the BJP now, and the party want to address this issue. Choosing Verma will also help manage other Jat-dominated states like Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. Speculations are rife that the RSS also wants to reward Verma for defeating Kejriwal in the elections.
Verma, on the other hand, had begun his campaign long before his candidature from New Delhi was announced by raising issues, including Yamuna pollution, and cornering Kejriwal. He won this seat by a margin of 4089 votes.
Verma is also the son of former CM the late Sahib Singh Verma, who had a very strong influence in Outer Delhi.
BJP chief J P Nadda met Union Home Minister Amit Shah after the elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also held discussions with the party leaders at the BJP headquarters about the next CM of Delhi.
However, the party’s practice of sending a bigger message will reflect on the choice, as evident from the recent picks in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The BJP went for relatively unheard names in these states, leaving political analysts second-guessing. There is also a chatter that the BJP can choose Kapil Mishra as the Deputy CM. Mishra comes from the Brahmin community, and Poorvanchali and Brahmin voters have a lot of influence in Delhi. Many also place their 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.
Meanwhile, the party will announce the new chief minister only after Prime Minister Narendra Modi returns after the US visit. Delhi BJP state president Virendra Sachdeva has written to the Lieutenant Governor seeking time.
He has not met the L-G on Sunday or Monday either. It is said that a meeting may take place in the next one or two days.
