NEW DELHI:With a resounding victory in the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has secured 48 seats, breaking the Aam Aadmi Partyโs (AAP) stronghold in the national capital. As Delhiites await their new leader, the race for the Chief Ministerโs post is intensifying within the party ranks.
Until the BJP makes its announcement, here are the prominent leaders who could be key contenders for the Chief Ministerโs position:
Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma: The BJP leader made history by defeating former Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal in the New Delhi constituency by a margin of 4,089 votes. Kejriwal had held this seat since 2013. However, Verma, while acknowledging his victory, stated that the final decision on the Chief Ministerโs post rests with the partyโs leadership.
Manjinder Singh Sirsa: The BJP leader, who won from Rajouri Garden, is a strong Sikh face in the party. His name is being considered to strengthen BJPโs support among Sikh voters in Delhi and Punjab. Sirsa secured victory in the Rajouri Garden constituency with 64,132 votes. In an exclusive conversation with The New Indian, he spoke about how he joined the BJP for the goodwill of the Sikh community.
Kapil Mishra: Having won from Karawal Nagar, Mishra is seen as a strong contender, particularly due to his appeal among Purvanchali voters and his vocal stance on Hindutva issues. His ideological alignment with the partyโs core values makes him a favorite among senior BJP leaders. In a conversation with Rohan Dua of The New Indian, Mishra spoke in detail about Hindutva and the key issues he prioritizes.
Harish Khurana: Son of former Delhi CM Madan Lal Khurana, Harish won from Moti Nagar and carries a legacy that resonates with many BJP supporters. While speaking exclusively to The New Indian, Khurana said that the party will decide his role. โI will wholeheartedly accept whatever the party decides for me.โ
Ashish Sood: Winner of the Janakpuri seat by 18,766 votes, Sood has been a key strategist in BJPโs Delhi unit and is being considered for the CM post. While talking to the New Indian he refrained from making any comment on the CM face but talked in detail about his priorities for Janakpuri assembly constituency.
BJP party fought and won this election without announcing a Chief Ministerial candidate. When The New Indian went on the ground ahead of the 2025 Delhi Assembly election, many voters acknowledged that the BJP was not repeating its mistake from 2015.
In 2015, Kiran Bedi was announced as the BJPโs Chief Ministerial candidate for the Delhi Assembly elections on January 19, 2015. However, the party lost the election to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and she did not become the Chief Minister.
Despite this, voters expressed confidence in the PM Modi-led BJP, believing that the party may appoint a strong leader, similar to those in Maharashtra(Devendra Fadnavis) or Uttar Pradesh (Yogi Adityanath).
