BJP’s Strategy for Delhi Elections: No CM Candidate, ‘Big Name’ to Contest Kejriwal

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has confirmed that it will not announce a Chief Ministerial candidate for the upcoming Delhi elections, sources close to the party revealed on Friday. Instead, the BJP intends to field a “big name” to challenge Delhi’s current Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, in the New Delhi constituency.

In an electoral approach that has been used in other states like Maharashtra, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, and Jharkhand, the BJP has opted not to project a Chief Ministerial face ahead of the polls.

Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), led by Arvind Kejriwal, has already named candidates for all 70 seats, positioning itself well ahead of other contenders in the race. Despite this, BJP sources express strong confidence in their ability to challenge Kejriwal’s dominance, particularly in the New Delhi seat, which has been a stronghold for AAP.

Kejriwal, who stepped down as Chief Minister in September following his bail in the liquor policy case, handed over the reins to Atishi. Since then, he has announced his intent to return to the Chief Minister’s post after securing a victory from the people’s court, underscoring his current padyatra across Delhi’s constituencies as part of his campaign.

The BJP’s strategy in the upcoming elections revolves around highlighting alleged corruption within the Delhi government, with anti-incumbency sentiment being a significant factor. The party is expected to target the AAP’s governance track record while rallying support on these issues.

Sources also mentioned that some former BJP Members of Parliament, as well as those who were overlooked in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, could be urged to contest the Delhi assembly elections. Additionally, alliances with smaller parties, such as Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal United (JDU), are likely to influence seat distribution.

The BJP recently announced a 21-member State Election Committee to screen potential candidates for the polls. Following this, the Central Election Committee, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will convene to make the final decisions on candidate selections.

Looking back at previous elections, the AAP emerged as a dominant force in 2015, securing 67 seats, while the BJP won only three. In 2020, the AAP continued its stronghold with 62 seats, and the BJP managed just eight, with Congress failing to secure any seats in both elections.