Surprise CM pick? BJP’s past moves suggest a wild card for Delhi

Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has made a powerful comeback in Delhi, securing a landslide victory in the 2025 Assembly Elections. The saffron party dethroned the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) by winning 48 out of 70 seats. With this decisive win, speculation is mounting over who will be the next chief minister of the national capital.

Parvesh Verma leads the race

Among the frontrunners is Parvesh Verma, son of former Delhi Chief Minister late Sahib Singh Verma. Parvesh emerged as the election’s "giant-killer" by defeating Arvind Kejriwal from the New Delhi constituency. His significant victory has positioned him as a top contender for the coveted post.

Ashish Sood and Pawan Sharma in the running

Other strong candidates include senior BJP leaders Ashish Sood and Pawan Sharma.

• Ashish Sood, who secured 68,986 votes from Janakpuri, has extensive administrative experience, having served in the South Delhi Municipal Corporation. He is also BJP’s in-charge for Goa and co-in-charge for the Jammu and Kashmir unit.
• Pawan Sharma, who won from Uttam Nagar with a staggering 1,03,613 votes, is another strong contender. Currently co-in-charge for BJP Assam, Sharma has significant political experience within the party.

Other senior leaders in the mix

Former Delhi BJP presidents Vijender Gupta and Satish Upadhyay are also being considered.

• Vijender Gupta secured a hattrick win from Rohini with a margin of over 37,000 votes. He has previously served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly.
• Satish Upadhyay, who won from Malviya Nagar with over 39,000 votes, has strong RSS connections and is the co-in-charge for BJP's Madhya Pradesh unit.

Will BJP opt for a woman CM?

BJP leaders have not ruled out the possibility of selecting a woman as Delhi's next CM. Two names in contention are Rekha Gupta and Shikha Roy.

• Shikha Roy defeated AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj in Greater Kailash by 3,188 votes.
• Rekha Gupta triumphed over AAP’s Bandana Kumari in Shalimar Bagh with a margin of over 29,000 votes.

A surprise CM pick? BJP’s history suggests so

While there are many prominent names in the running, BJP’s past selections in states like Rajasthan, Haryana, and Madhya Pradesh suggest that the party may introduce an unexpected name for the post. Some believe that East Delhi MP and Union Minister Harsh Malhotra or North-East Delhi MP Manoj Tiwari, a key Purvanchali face, could be considered for the role. A senior BJP leader stated, "You never know… The national leadership can introduce a fresh face who aligns with the party’s vision and meets the expectations of Delhi’s people." Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva confirmed that the final decision on the chief ministerial candidate will be taken by the party's central leadership.