Who will be Delhi’s next chief minister? Meet the frontrunners. Is there a BJP ‘dark horse’?
The Bharatiya Janata Party, which came to power in the national capital after a 27-year gap, is likely to elect the next Delhi chief minister at a meeting of its elected MLAs on Wednesday, February 19.
The legislative party leader is expected to take oath as chief minister at Ramlila Maidan on February 20, days after the Delhi assembly election 2025 results.
The party formed the government in Delhi after defeating the Aam Aadmi Party in the recently held assembly election, securing 48 out of 70 seats. However, the suspense over the chief minister of Delhi still remains as the party has yet to make an announcement.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah, chief ministers from BJP-ruled states, NDA leaders, Union ministers, and other prominent figures are expected to attend the ceremony.
The names of several newly elected MLAs are doing the rounds for the posts of chief minister and ministers.
Parvesh Verma
Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma was a giant killer in the Delhi assembly election, defeating Arvind Kejriwal from the New Delhi constituency. Parvesh Verma, born on November 7, 1977, is the son of former Delhi chief minister Sahib Singh Verma.
He began his political journey with the BJP and was first elected to the Delhi Legislative Assembly in 2013, representing the Mehrauli constituency.
In 2014, he transitioned to national politics, winning the West Delhi Lok Sabha seat with a record margin, a feat he repeated in 2019.
In a significant political shift, Parvesh Verma contested the 2025 Delhi assembly election from the New Delhi constituency, defeating incumbent Arvind Kejriwal by a margin of 4,089 votes.
Vijender Gupta
Vijender Gupta, born on August 14, 1963, is a seasoned BJP politician and an alumnus of Shri Ram College of Commerce. He has been a three-time councillor from Rohini and has served as the president of the Delhi BJP.
In the 2025 Delhi assembly election, Vijender Gupta secured his third consecutive victory from the Rohini constituency, defeating AAP’s Pradeep Mittal by a margin of 37,816 votes.
Satish Upadhyay
Satish Upadhyay, a veteran BJP leader, has been actively involved in Delhi politics for several decades. He has previously served as the president of the Delhi BJP and has been instrumental in various party initiatives in the capital.
In the 2025 Delhi assembly election, Upadhyay contested from the Malviya Nagar constituency, defeating the incumbent AAP MLA Somnath Bharti, marking a significant win for the BJP in a previously AAP-dominated area.
Virendra Sachdeva
Virendra Sachdeva assumed the presidency of the Delhi BJP on March 23, 2023. Under his leadership, the party strategised for the 2025 Delhi assembly election, resulting in a majority win and ending the AAP’s dominance in the capital.
Post-victory, Sachdeva emphasised that the central leadership would decide on the chief ministerial candidate. Beyond politics, he serves as the secretary general of the Archery Association of India and as vice president of the Delhi Olympics.
Harish Khurana
Harish Khurana, son of former Delhi chief minister Madan Lal Khurana, made his electoral debut in the 2025 Delhi election, contesting from the Moti Nagar constituency.
Facing AAP’s Shivcharan Goel, Khurana leveraged his deep-rooted political lineage and his roles within the Delhi BJP, including positions as secretary, public relations cell convenor, and party spokesperson, to make a significant impact in his constituency.
Other names
Other notable leaders who have made their mark include:
Pawan Sharma
Ashish Sood
Rekha Gupta
Shikha Rai
Ravinder Indraj Singh
Kailash Gangwal
Many in the party believe that the BJP leadership might pick a “dark horse” among the newly elected MLAs as was the case in states like Rajasthan, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
