New Delhi: The BJP central leadership will decide on whom to name as the party’s chief ministerial candidate or whether to go without a nominee to the polls in a parliamentary board meeting this week. A decision was expected on Sunday following a meeting of the party's election committee, but did not materialise.
With the possibility of outbreak of infighting in the party’s state unit in the lead-up to the elections, BJP’s central leaders are still debating whether to name a CM candidate, although the view that Harsh Vardhan should be named the party’s face to take on chief minister Sheila Dikshit has grown stronger.
“There could be differences within the party on who should be the candidate but it will be resolved in a parliamentary board meeting in the next two to three days,” a senior party leader who is part of the decision-making process said. The leadership is wary of slamming the door shut on state BJP chief Vijay Goel as it fears that dissidence may hobble the party at a time when it is aspiring to wrest power from Congress.
Also, even as speculation intensifies about who could be declared BJP’s CM candidate, a school in the party remains unsure about projecting anyone. Have not quit, says Goel
New Delhi: On Sunday, it was understood that Goel’s repeated visits to the party office and meetings with senior leaders including prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and party president Rajnath Singh might have forced the party to put the decision on hold. There were also rumours of Goel threatening to resign or sabotage the election if sidelined.
Goel, however, vehemently denied it. “I have neither mentioned resignation nor held any meeting with any senior leader,” he told TOI.
On Sunday evening, amid the buzz of a possible announcement of Vardhan’s name, a large number of young party workers, claiming to be his supporters, had turned up at the party’s Ashoka Road office where the election committee was meeting. They chanted slogans of “Harsh Harsh, Jai Jai” and “mukhya mantri kaisa ho, Harsh Vardhan jaisa ho”. However, national executive member Arti Mehra asked them to calm down until a formal announcement was made.
A few minutes later, the party’s poll incharge for Delhi Nitin Gadkari left the meeting to attend a function. However, he left the media and party workers disappointed with his refusal to give any statement. An hour later, at a function of the Poorvanchali community in east Delhi, Gadkari said, “The decision will be announced when the time comes.” Goel and Vardhan too were spotted at this event sitting next to each other.
When contacted, Vardhan said he was at Ashoka Road only to attend the election committee meeting as he is a member. “I have no knowledge of any other meeting besides that,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Goel camp is said to be circulating survey reports that show him as more popular than Vardhan. Another set of leaders claimed that Goel was negotiating for a Rajya Sabha seat for himself and a safe assembly seat for his wife in the coming polls.
With the possibility of outbreak of infighting in the party’s state unit in the lead-up to the elections, BJP’s central leaders are still debating whether to name a CM candidate, although the view that Harsh Vardhan should be named the party’s face to take on chief minister Sheila Dikshit has grown stronger.
“There could be differences within the party on who should be the candidate but it will be resolved in a parliamentary board meeting in the next two to three days,” a senior party leader who is part of the decision-making process said. The leadership is wary of slamming the door shut on state BJP chief Vijay Goel as it fears that dissidence may hobble the party at a time when it is aspiring to wrest power from Congress.
Also, even as speculation intensifies about who could be declared BJP’s CM candidate, a school in the party remains unsure about projecting anyone. Have not quit, says Goel
New Delhi: On Sunday, it was understood that Goel’s repeated visits to the party office and meetings with senior leaders including prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and party president Rajnath Singh might have forced the party to put the decision on hold. There were also rumours of Goel threatening to resign or sabotage the election if sidelined.
Goel, however, vehemently denied it. “I have neither mentioned resignation nor held any meeting with any senior leader,” he told TOI.
On Sunday evening, amid the buzz of a possible announcement of Vardhan’s name, a large number of young party workers, claiming to be his supporters, had turned up at the party’s Ashoka Road office where the election committee was meeting. They chanted slogans of “Harsh Harsh, Jai Jai” and “mukhya mantri kaisa ho, Harsh Vardhan jaisa ho”. However, national executive member Arti Mehra asked them to calm down until a formal announcement was made.
A few minutes later, the party’s poll incharge for Delhi Nitin Gadkari left the meeting to attend a function. However, he left the media and party workers disappointed with his refusal to give any statement. An hour later, at a function of the Poorvanchali community in east Delhi, Gadkari said, “The decision will be announced when the time comes.” Goel and Vardhan too were spotted at this event sitting next to each other.
When contacted, Vardhan said he was at Ashoka Road only to attend the election committee meeting as he is a member. “I have no knowledge of any other meeting besides that,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Goel camp is said to be circulating survey reports that show him as more popular than Vardhan. Another set of leaders claimed that Goel was negotiating for a Rajya Sabha seat for himself and a safe assembly seat for his wife in the coming polls.
Delhi BJP chief Vijay Goel at the party office on Sunday
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