The swearing-in ceremony for the new Chief Minister of Delhi is expected to take place after February 13, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s return from the United States, according to sources on Sunday.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is currently in discussions to select its leader who will head the government in the national capital.
Government formation is likely to occur only after Prime Minister Modi returns from his official visit to the United States on February 15; he will be in the US on February 12-13. According to reports from top sources within the BJP, the new Delhi government formation is “unlikely before February 15,” as discussions will only begin once Modi is back. They also indicated that the BJP plans to hold a grand swearing-in ceremony, with all prominent National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders and Chief Ministers invited to attend.
The BJP’s election campaign was spearheaded by Prime Minister Modi, and, similar to previous state elections, the party did not announce a Chief Minister candidate in advance, opting to name the Chief Minister after the electoral victory. With the BJP having won the Delhi elections, discussions regarding the party’s candidate to lead the government are likely to commence soon.
Several names have emerged as potential front-runners in the political circles. Parvesh Verma, who ended the personal winning streak of AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal in the New Delhi constituency, is seen as a prominent candidate for the top position. Another name being mentioned is Bansuri Swaraj, a first-time BJP Member of Parliament (MP) and daughter of veteran party leader Sushma Swaraj. She is currently the MP for the New Delhi Lok Sabha seat, which was once held by major BJP figures like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani.
Smriti Irani is also speculated to be a contender for the role. She gained significant recognition when she defeated Rahul Gandhi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Amethi, although she was defeated in the 2024 general elections. Irani actively campaigned for the BJP during the Delhi polls.
