The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday announced its first list of 29 candidates for the Delhi Assembly elections scheduled for February 2025.
Prominent names in the list include former West Delhi MP Parvesh Verma, who will take on AAP Convenor Arvind Kejriwal in New Delhi. Former South Delhi MP Ramesh Bidhuri is set to challenge Chief Minister Atishi in Kalkaji, while ex-AAP minister Kailash Gahlot has been fielded from Bijwasan, moving away from his traditional Najafgarh seat.
Notably, the party has dropped Gandhi Nagar MLA Anil Bajpayee, instead nominating former Delhi Congress chief Arvinder Singh Lovely for the seat.
A leadership change in the BJP’s state unit is considered likely, with speculation pointing to the appointment of a working president from an SC, ST, or OBC community ahead of the final decision on poll candidates by the party’s national leadership. Reports suggest the Delhi BJP unit could be entrusted to “a senior leader from a significant community,” following the uproar over Dr. BR Ambedkar during the recent Winter Session of Parliament.
Meanwhile, the AAP has finalized candidates for all 70 Assembly constituencies in Delhi, while the Congress has announced candidates for 21 seats, with more names expected soon.