BJP plans two deputy CMs in Delhi to reflect “mini India” and accommodate leaders from diverse backgrounds in its new government
New Delhi: As the hunt for the top post continues, the BJP is looking at the possibility of appointing two deputy chief ministers in Delhi. This move, according to insiders, is meant to showcase the national capital as a “mini India” and will help the party to accommodate MLAs from different castes, communities and regional backgrounds.
In his speech at the BJP headquarters, after the grand victory of the BJP in the Delhi Assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attached a symbolic value to it, citing Delhi as a reflection of “mini” India.
“It is highly likely because this has been done in various other states where deputy CMs have been appointed to accommodate leaders of different backgrounds. This has been done in party-ruled MP, UP and Rajasthan,” sources said. The idea of having deputy CMs will help the party in this accommodation process and speculation is high that one could be from the Dalit community, the sources said.
The proposal was under consideration by the national leadership, that will take a final call on it, besides finalising the names of the chief minister and council of ministers.
The process of BJP government formation is likely to pick up pace after Prime Minister Narendra Modi returns to the country from the United States over the weekend, and everything is likely to be finalised before February 20.
Insiders said that “before the meeting, the national leadership will appoint a central observer to oversee the election of the legislature party leader”.
The meeting of the BJP legislature party is likely to be held on Sunday to elect the Leader of the House, who will be the next chief minister.
“BJP leaders from various cross sections of society, including Punjabis, Sikhs, Purvanchalis, Uttarakhandis, Vaishya, Jats, among others, have now become MLAs and they need to be represented in our government,” the party insiders claimed.
There is a possibility that a seven-member Cabinet, including the CM, may include an MLA from each of Delhi’s seven Lok Sabha seats chosen according to the required caste combine, as decided upon by both RSS and BJP leaderships, sources said.
Several names of BJP MLAs are doing the rounds as possible chief ministerial contenders. These include Parvesh Verma, who defeated AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal from the New Delhi seat, besides former Delhi BJP chiefs Vijender Gupta and Satish Upadhya, and senior leaders Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Pawan Sharma, Ashish Sood, Rekha Gupta, Pankaj Kumar Singh, Poonam Sharma and Shikha Rai, among others.
The names of some newly-elected MLAs, including Raj Kumar Bhatia, were also cited by party leaders as probable for the top post.
“In case the BJP chief minister is from one community, the posts of deputy chief ministers could be used to balance the claim of other communities, such as women, Sikhs, Jats or Banias, who propelled the party to such a magnificent victory,” said another senior party leader.
