No CM nominee, PM Narendra Modi to be face of BJP’s Delhi campaign

“We will have our party symbol, the lotus, as the face. We will contest collectively under the leadership of Narendra Modi. He is the guiding spirit of the party and we are confident of a landslide victory… Winnability is the only factor we are looking at,” said Upadhyay.

The BJP seems unwilling to take any chances by nominating a “weak leader” against AAP leader and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Instead, it is banking on the Modi factor, which ensured a massive win for the party in the Lok Sabha polls and the recent assembly elections.

“For projecting a chief ministerial candidate, a strong personality is required. We have seen what the Modi magic did in Haryana and Maharashtra. Our survey done earlier also suggested that people are still identifying the BJP with Modi and nobody else,” said a senior party leader.

Earlier in the day, the Union Cabinet, at a special meeting, decided to ratify Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung’s recommendation to dissolve the Delhi assembly.

After his meeting with BJP, AAP and Congress leaders on Monday, at which all the parties expressed their inability to form the government, Jung is learnt to have sent his report to President Pranab Mukherjee recommending dissolution of the assembly. The President, in turn, is learnt to have forwarded Jung’s recommendations to the Centre.

With the Cabinet clearing the dissolution of the assembly, the Election Commission is expected to announce dates for holding polls in Delhi. It will also cancel the recently announced bypolls to three assembly seats in Delhi.

Meanwhile, both the AAP and Congress were quick to target the BJP’s strategy. Senior AAP leader Ashutosh said the BJP was reluctant to name a CM candidate as it feared Kejriwal’s popularity.

“In the Delhi elections, time after time, they have always named their face for the elections. They are afraid of projecting a leader for fear of losing face. Why are they suddenly using the term collective leadership? Where was their collective leadership when Harsh Vardhan was clearly the face of the BJP (in the last polls),” he said.

Congress general secretary in charge of Delhi Shakeel Ahmed said, “Very soon, the people of Delhi will realise that the BJP is hoodwinking the electorate by asking for votes in the PM’s name.”

Delhi has remained under President’s Rule ever since the AAP government resigned after 49 days in office in February. Last month, the Supreme Court criticised the delay and gave Jung time till November 11 to explore the possibility of forming a government. The court was hearing AAP’s petition seeking early dissolution of the assembly.