The exit poll results that predicted a victory for Bharatiya Janata Party in Delhi have created excitement in the saffron camp. If the results go in the same manner as the pollsters predicted, the role of some of the BJP candidates will become important.
The key candidates to watch out for from the BJP include veteran MLAs, former MPs and those holding organisational posts.
Among the leaders who may be considered for the key posts—if the BJP wins and the candidates also win—could be Dushyant Gautam, the current national general secretary, who is contesting from the Karol Bagh reserved seat. A dalit face who also served as the Rajya Sabha MP, Gautam is up against three-time AAP MLA Vishesh Ravi. The 67-year-old leader was active during his student days and had unsuccessfully contested assembly elections in 2013 and 2008 from Kondli seat.
Interestingly, the BJP has fielded sons of two former state chief ministers —Sahib Singh Verma’s son and former Lok Sabha MP Parvesh Singh Verma, who is contesting against AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal. If he emerged as the giant killer from the New Delhi assembly seat, he would make a natural choice in the government formation. He comes from the politically important Jat community. Harish Khurana, party spokesperson, and son of former Delhi CM Madanlal Khurana, is contesting from Moti Nagar seat.
Going by the BJP’s past record as how it picked up ministers, speakers and most importantly, the chief minister, it has rewarded party workers, and turncoats in the government. But it had surprised everyone by picking young leaders and, in some cases, first-time MLAs for the top post. The cabinet formation also takes into account the balancing of castes, key communities, and traditional vote banks. As seen in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, the former MPs who contested the assembly polls were accommodated in the cabinets. Delhi being the national capital could prompt the BJP leadership to bet on a leader to send out a message across the country.
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Among the old timers is Vijender Gupta, who won from Rohini seat in 2015 and 2020, when the AAP had swept the polls. He survived the AAP tsunami. He is also the leader of the opposition in the Delhi assembly. He had contested against Sheila Dikshit and Kejriwal in 2013 but lost. He was earlier elected to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and also served as state party chief. Satish Upadhaya, who is contesting from the Malviya Nagar seat, has served as Delhi BJP chief and former vice chairperson of NDMC. he was also the co-in-charge of Madhya Pradesh.
Among the key women candidates to watch out for are Rekha Gupta, former MCD councillor and Delhi University Students Union president. She is contesting from the Shalimar Bagh seat, from where she had lost with a small margin in 2020 and a bigger one in 2015 to AAP’s Bandana Kumari. Shikha Rai is up against another formidable AAP candidate Saurabh Bhardwaj from the Greater Kailash seat.
The other dalit leader is Raj Kumar Chauhan, who is contesting from Mangolpuri reserved seat. The former Delhi minister in the Sheila Dikshit cabinet had earlier won from the same seat four times before AAP’s Rakhi Birla wrested it from the Congress. Chauhan joined the BJP in May 2024, along with Congress state president Arvinder Singh Lovely.
Lovely, the Sikh face in the Dikshit cabinet, is contesting from his former pocket borough Gandhi Nagar seat, four times. This is his second stint in the BJP as he joined the party in 2017 and rejoined Congress a year later.
The other prominent Sikh face to watch out for in the BJP is Manjinder Singh Sirsa, who is contesting from the Rajouri Garden assembly seat. He is currently the BJP’s national secretary. He had won from the seat twice in the past, once in a BJP ally Akali Dal ticket. Sirsa was former Akali Dal supremo Sukhbir Singh Badal’s close aide till he switched sides to join the BJP.
Since his coming to the BJP, he has been the link for BJP’s outreach towards the Sikh, particularly felicitating Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s engagement with Sikh community leaders. Sirsa has also served as president of Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee. If both BJP and Sirsa win, he could be considered for key assignment in the government.
Traditionally, the Delhi cabinet had mixed representation from all communities.
Among other leaders to watch out for after the poll results would be Ravinder Singh Negi, who is contesting from the Patparganj seat. He had lost the seat with a narrow margin to former Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia. Negi, who comes from Uttarakhand, was personally blessed by Modi during a rally. He has a strong chance from the seat dominated by people from Purvanchal region which comprises areas from Eastern UP and Bihar. Negi is up against AAP’s Avadh Ojha. He was in the news for his Hindutva image.
Another key leader with a Hindutva image is Kapil Mishra, who was earlier with the AAP and even served as a minister in Kejriwal’s cabinet. Mishra is currently Delhi BJP vice president. He is contesting from Karawal Nagar seat, which was earlier won by BJP’s Mohan Singh Bisht.
Another former Delhi minister to join BJP from AAP is Kailash Gehlot who is contesting from Bijwasan seat. He had earlier won from Najafgarh Assembly seat twice on AAP’s ticket.
Gurjar leader and former MP, Ramesh Bidhuri is up against Delhi CM Atishi Singh. Known for his outspoken ways, which often lands him in controversy, may demand a role given his long role in Delhi politics, if he emerges as another giant killer.
