New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has a history of springing surprises when it comes to selecting chief ministers, and Delhi might be the next in line. With the saffron party clinching victory in the national capital, speculation is rife that the BJP may break tradition and pick a woman as Delhi’s next Chief Minister.
This move, if it materializes, would make history—marking the first BJP woman CM since 2016 in the Modi era. Currently, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee remains the only woman heading a state government in India.
Will BJP Choose One of Its Four Women MLAs?
Four women BJP candidates emerged victorious in the Delhi Assembly elections, and experts believe the party may consider one of them for the top post to bolster its agenda of women empowerment. The victorious women MLAs include:
Shikha Roy (Greater Kailash): Defeated AAP minister Saurabh Bharadwaj by 3,188 votes.
Rekha Gupta (Shalimar Bagh): Won against AAP’s Bandana Kumari by 29,595 votes.
Poonam Sharma (Wazirpur): Outpaced AAP leader Rajesh Gupta by 11,425 votes.
Neelam Pahalwan (Najafgarh): Outclassed AAP’s Tarun Kumar by 29,009 votes.
Parvesh Verma Leads the Race, But…
Despite growing speculation around a woman CM, BJP MP Parvesh Verma—who humiliated AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal in New Delhi—remains a frontrunner. His landslide victory over the outgoing Chief Minister by 4,089 votes has catapulted him into the spotlight as a serious contender.
Other experienced BJP leaders like Vijender Gupta, Satish Upadhyay, Ashish Sood, and Pawan Sharma are also in the race.
A Surprise Awaiting Delhi?
Given the BJP’s recent strategy in states like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, and Odisha—where unexpected names were picked for the top post—Delhi could see a similar twist. A woman CM would mark a new chapter for the party and send a strong message on gender representation in governance.
