The Hindu : New Delhi News : Search for new BJP chief begins

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
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New Delhi

Search for new BJP chief begins

Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar

Discussions begin in Delhi

NEW DELHI: The search for a new Delhi BJP president has begun. The party has started holding informal discussions on the issue to find a suitable substitute for Dr. Harsh Vardhan who had taken over the reins of the party in the Capital from the veteran Madan Lal Khurana in 2003. The process of selection of the new incumbent is expected to formally begin in June.

Dr. Vardhan, who had been formally elected to the post in 2004 and whose term has now expired, has in his understated manner brought about a turnaround in the party's fortunes in Delhi.

But since by tradition the party president has to make way for a new face at the end of the three-year term, it is now time for the party to find his successor.

Three names are doing the rounds as favourites for the prime job. They are former Delhi Chief Minister Sahib Singh Verma, former Union Minister Vijay Goel and Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Jagdish Mukhi. Party observers, however, note that very often people whose names are floated do not eventually make the grade.

A senior BJP leader said that with a little over a year to go for the Delhi Assembly elections, the party would in all probability give the post to someone who would not nurture the ambition of becoming Chief Minister of Delhi should it win the 2008 elections.

It is in view of this consideration that many believe that the likes of former Ministers Harsharan Singh Balli and S.P. Ratawal are more suited for the job.

They are also considered closer to the present Delhi BJP president. "By standing with the traders during the sealing and demolition drives, Mr. Balli may have invited the wrath of the court that sent him behind bars for breaking the seals of various establishments, but his actions have enhanced his stature within the party,'' said a senior party leader, adding that as the former Minister is also a Sikh having him as the party president would send out a lot of positive signals.

As for Mr. Ratawal, he is not only a senior party leader but also belongs to a Scheduled Caste. And many believe he would be best suited to counter the threat posed by the Bahujan Samaj Party that not only surprised the masses by winning in 17 wards in the recent Municipal Corporation of Delhi elections but then also swept the U.P. Assembly elections through social engineering.

"We do not afford to take the BSP lightly any more," said a senior party leader.

Some party leaders are also not happy with the party's performance in the MCD elections and caution against complacency. "It should not be forgotten that while BJP was looking at winning over 200 wards in the MCD polls, it ended up with just 164. So a lot of hard work and astute planning are needed if the party expects to win the Delhi Assembly elections. The selection of the right person as president would be equally important,'' added a political observer.

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