Ending uncertainty, the BJP on Wednesday (Oct 23) named Harsh Vardhan as the party's Chief Ministerial candidate for the December 4 Delhi Assembly elections despite opposition by city unit chief Vijay Goel who had staked claim for the post.
The decision was taken at a meeting of party's Parliamentary Board New Delhi.
Party president Rajnath Singh made the announcement at press conference and said the decision was unanimous and that Goel also consented to it.
Singh was flanked by several senior leaders including veteran L K Advani, senior leaders Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Ananth Kumar and Delhi Election in-charge Nitin Gadkari. Goel and Vardhan were also both present at the press conference.
All members of the Parliamentary Board were in the meeting except Narendra Modi who has given his consent to the decision, party sources said.
The party expects that by presenting Vardhan, a former Health Minister who has a clean image, as the Chief Ministerial candidate it will be able to put up a tough fight to dethrone the Congress dispensation which has been in power for the last 15 years.
The decision by the party has come despite stiff opposition to Vardhan's candidature by Goel.
The internal squabbles in Delhi BJP over the issue had threatened to take its toll on the party's campaign.
A number of Delhi BJP leaders last week had conveyed to the party's central leadership that they should announce the candidature of Vardhan, arguing that he has wider acceptability among people, party leaders and workers.
BJP will do well in Delhi polls under Harsh Vardhan: Modi
Gujarat Chief Minister and BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi today expressed confidence that the party will do well in Delhi Assembly polls under the leadership of Harsh Vardhan.
"Congratulations to Dr. Harsh Vardhan on being named BJP's CM candidate for upcoming Delhi elections. My best wishes," Modi said on twitter.
"As Health Minister, his (Harsh Vardhan's) trend-setting polio eradication drive made Delhi polio-free & now I am sure he will free Delhi from misgovernance," he further said.
He further wrote that "under the leadership of Dr. Harsh Vardhan and Shri Vijay Goyal, I am confident BJP will do great in the Delhi Vidhan Sabha Elections."
The decision to declare Dr Harsh Vardhan as BJP's chief ministerial candidate for the December 4 Delhi Assembly elections was taken by the party's parliamentary board today. Modi was not present in the meeting but had given his consent for the name of Vardhan.
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