Delhi New CM Announcement LIVE: BJP MLAs' Meet To Begin Shortly, Central Observers Reach Party Office

BJP MLA Vijender Gupta reached at Delhi BJP office to take part in the legislative party meeting for electing the chief minister.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Tarvinder Singh Marwah said, “I am just a party worker, nothing can be more joyous that PM Modi considered me capable to contest the elections.”

BJP leaders Satish Upadhyay, Mohan Singh Bisht, Kartar Tanwar and Ashish Sood also reached the BJP Delhi Office.

As the MLAs reached BJP’s Delhi office to finalise the name of the chief minister, a BJP supporter dressed as AAP Convenor Arvind Kejriwal and spoke about the alleged scams of the former chief minister.

“I have done a lot of development work in my tenures – like liquor scam, DTC scam, Yamuna scam, Sheesh Mahal scam…Modi ji is cleaning the river Yamuna, but I would have done better. Now, I am going to Punjab to make it like London,” said the supporter.

Before the Delhi BJP legislative party meeting, BJP MLA elect Raj Kumar Bhatia said that 48 candidates are contesting for the post of chief minister.

“For us, the most important thing is that our govt is forming after 27 years…48 candidates are there for CM post,” Bhatia said.

Meanwhile, BJP MP Kamaljeet Sehrawat said, “Delhi is going to get a new CM. Soon, the name will be announced. Whoever becomes the CM will work for the people of Delhi under PM Modi’s vision and will fulfil the dreams of the people here. People will remember the BJP CM’s face.”

BJP-winning candidate from Moti Nagar Vidhan Sabha Harish Khurana said that the name of the chief minister will be announced soon.

“A double-engine government is going to be formed in Delhi, and soon, the government will start working. The name of the CM will be announced soon. PM Modi has selected the face for the post. Soon, everybody will know who the CM will be,” said Khurana.

BJP leaders J P Nadda, Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh held a meeting with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat in the RSS office, as per sources.

The meeting took place before the announcement of Delhi’s next chief minister.

BJP’s central observers Ravi Shankar Prasad and Om Prakash Dhankar reached the Delhi BJP office. The two will be electing the leader of the Delhi Legislature Party.

NDMC Vice-Chairperson Kuljeet Chahal, MLAs Harsh Malhotra, Harish Khurana and Karnail Singh also reached the BJP Delhi office.

Meanwhile, BJP supporters are rejoicing as Delhi BJP MLAs will be electing the legislative party leader. The chief minister will take oath tomorrow.

Speaking before the legislative party meeting, BJP leader Ashok Goyal said that Delhi will now get a double-engine government.

“Today, a double-engine government is going to be formed under the leadership of the BJP…After the formation of the government, Delhi will be free from pollution, and we will see a pace of development,” he said.

Before the legislative party meeting, Delhi BJP President Virendraa Sachdeva said that the name of the chief minister would be revealed by 8pm.

“The announcement of the name (of CM) will be announced today evening…We have invited all sections of the society of Delhi (to the Delhi CM oath ceremony),” he said.

Speaking about revealing the name of the new chief minister, he said, “By 8 pm, we will tell you (media)…”

BJP Delhi election in-charge Baijayant Panda, MLA elect MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Ashok Goyal have started arriving to attend BJP’s Legislature Party meeting.

In the meeting, the MLAs will elect their Delhi legislature party leader after which BJP’s central observers OP Dhankar and Ravi Shankar Prasad will announce the name of Delhi’s next chief minister at 8 pm today.

A celebratory mood can be seen outside the Delhi BJP office an hour before the name of Delhi’s chief minister will be announced after the BJP Legislature Party meeting.

A BJP worker is seen dancing enthusiastically outside the office. The swearing-in ceremony of the chief minister will be held tomorrow (February 20).

MLA elect and BJP leader Mohan Singh Bisht has said that he could be the new speaker of the Delhi Assembly after the chief minister is announced.

“The party will decide it. It is a fact that a BJP worker will be the (Delhi) CM’s face. The party will assign the responsibility…If I will be (the CM), then I will see what all to be done,” Bisht said to ANI.

He said that if he is chosen the speaker, his “priorities will be smooth conduct of the House and raising important issues of Delhi in the House.”

The final preparations are underway at Ramlila Maidan for the oath ceremony of Delhi’s new chief minister which is scheduled for tomorrow, February 20.

BJP will hold a meeting of its MLAs at 7 pm today after which the chief ministerial candidate will be announced.

Drums started to play outside the BJP state office ahead of the party’s Legislative Party meeting in which the state’s chief minister candidate will be decided.

The preparations are underway for the swearing-in ceremony of the Delhi chief minister which will be held tomorrow (Feb 20).

The police have also heightened security at the BJP Delhi office on Pant Marg ahead of the BJP Legislative Party meeting.

Speaking about the selection of Delhi’s chief minister, BJP General Secretary Dushyant Gautam said that there is no formula.

“This is a suspense. The legislative party will take the decision, which will be approved by the party’s parliamentary board….There is no formula,” he said.

BJP Secretary Om Prakash Dhankar left the residence of BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad after holding a meeting with him.

OP Dhankar and Ravi Shankar Prasad were appointed as central observers to elect the leader of the Delhi Legislature Party. The two leaders will be announcing the name of Delhi’s next chief minister at 7 pm today.

The Delhi Traffic Police issued a traffic advisory for February 20 as the swearing-in ceremony of Delhi’s new chief minister will be held at Ram Leela Ground.

The police said, “A large gathering is also expected. To Manage traffic during this event, certain diversions and restrictions will be in place.”

Speaking about Delhi CM’s announcement, BJP leader Ajay Alok said that a new era will begin tomorrow in Delhi.

“Delhi will enter into a new era tomorrow with a new morning and BJP, with a new face, colour, attitude and commitment will form govt in Delhi. Delhi will be developed actually like the capital of the country,” he said.

Speaking about the swearing-in ceremony of Delhi CM, BJP MP Deepak Prakash said that it will be historic.

“Sunrise is going to happen in Delhi tomorrow. The development will now take place at the ground level… Tomorrow, a new government will be formed in Delhi under the leadership of PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah… Tomorrow’s event is really a historic event. After 27 years, the BJP government will be sworn in (in Delhi)… Tomorrow will be the beginning of good governance with the end of bad governance,” he said.

BJP leaders Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh, along with J P Nadda, reached the new office of RSS ‘Keshav Kunj’ to participate in Puja hours before the announcement of Delhi’s next chief minister.

BJP leader OP Dhankar reached the residence of Ravi Shankar Prasad, hours after the two of them were appointed as central observers for electing the leader of the Delhi Legislature Party.

The two leaders will be announcing the name of Delhi’s next chief minister at 7 pm today.

Delhi BJP president Virendraa Sachdeva said that the party’s central observers will announce the next chief minister’s name at 7 pm today.

“At 7 pm today, the party’s two central observers (for electing the Leader of Delhi Legislature Party) will come, and they will announce the name of the CM,” Sachdeva said.

“The PM, CMs of some states, the party’s central leadership, auto-rickshaw drivers, labourers and a few known people from civil society will attend the oath ceremony tomorrow,” he added.

Speaking on the mystery around the announcement of Delhi’s next chief minister, AAP leader Gopal Rai said that the invitations had been sent without the name of the next CM.

“I pray that the meeting takes place today and the CM is announced… It is shocking that the invitation cards for the swearing-in ceremony are being distributed, but it is not yet known who will take the oath… I hope that the BJP discloses the suspense today,” said Rai.

Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Ravindra Yadav said that security arrangements have been tightened across Delhi in the wake of the chief minister’s swearing-in ceremony tomorrow.

“The CM’s oath-taking ceremony is set for tomorrow, with many VIPs and a large crowd expected. We have been preparing for two days, focusing on traffic arrangements due to the high number of vehicles requiring parking. This morning, our commissioner personally reviewed the preparations. We are hopeful of managing the event smoothly,” Yadav said.

“Preparations are going on for the swearing-in ceremony tomorrow. The police is also making preparations for security and traffic on its part. There will be around 15 DCPs based on the zone. There will be separate officers for security and traffic. We have had a meeting with the ceremony managers and the administration,” he added.

BJP’s winning candidate from the Shalimar Bagh Assembly constituency, Rekha Gupta said that she is sure the party will soon decide the name of Delhi’s next chief minister.

“Decisions are made organizationally, and the party decides. Whoever is assigned the responsibility will carry out the work with full dedication and commitment to the party. I am fully confident that the BJP will have its Chief Minister, and a new chapter will begin for Delhi,” said Gupta.

Speaking about the meeting of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs in Delhi at 7 pm today, BJP MLA from Ghonda Ajay Mahawar said that the MLAs will decide who will be the legislative party leader.

“In the legislative party meeting, the election of the leader will take place. The central leadership has already made its decision…The Parliamentary Board decides, we are capable and very visionary. The double-engine government is running effectively in our state, serving the public in many ways,” said Ghonda.

The new Delhi Chief Minister is set to take oath at the iconic Ramlila Maidan on February 20, said sources, adding that the BJP is planning to host a grand ceremony to celebrate their historic victory after 27 years in the national capital.

Arvind Kejriwal, the national convener of the Aam Aadmi Party, was the first and only Delhi Chief Minister to choose the historic Ramlila Maidan for his oath ceremonies. On December 28, 2013, he took the oath for the first time at the historic ground.

Over 5,000 security personnel and more than 10 paramilitary companies will be stationed at Ramlila Maidan during the oath-taking ceremony for Delhi’s new chief minister, officials said. The swearing-in ceremony for the Delhi CM will take place on February 20 at 4:30 pm.

AAP leader Manish Sisodia criticised the delay in BJP’s decision to select its chief ministerial candidate for Delhi.

He said, as per news agency PTI, “It is strange that so many days have passed, and they (BJP) are yet to pick a leader (CM face). Whether they trust their MLAs or not… the delay in making such a crucial decision is baffling.”

According to sources, PM Modi, Amit Shah and other parliamentary members have discussed names of CM probables from the ‘Punjabi’ and ‘Baniya’ communities. This is because the Punjabi community is in large numbers in Delhi, while it may also give BJP an advantage in Punjab where elections are due in 2027.

Meanwhile, Rekha Gupta comes from the ‘Baniya’ community that has a huge vote share in Delhi.