BJP still searching for a Chief Ministerial candidate in Delhi?

NEW DELHI: Despite a protest by Delhi BJP chief Vijay Goel, there is considerable support in the party leadership to project former state health minister Harsh Vardhan as chief ministerial candidate for the assembly election.

Although a final decision was expected to be taken on Sunday when the BJP’s PM candidate Narendra Modi was here to attend a meeting of the party’s Central Election Committee, the parliamentary board is likely to meet after Arun Jaitley returns to the capital on Monday.

“We will take a decision in two-three days,” a senior leader said. Goel is understood to have had indicated to the leadership that he would step down if anyone other than him was projected as the party’s face. However, in the BJP’s assessment, his protest would not damage its electoral prospects as he lacked substantive support within or outside, a party leader said.

The RSS, too, conveyed its displeasure over the developments in the state unit and wants the party to take a call. There is near unanimity over Vardhan’s candidature, a party leader said.

The BJP leadership was left with the choice between fighting a faceless battle and projecting a name even it meant risking a war within. The Delhi election was getting dicier for Modi. While other state elections — Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh — are being fought with chief ministerial candidates, the party has not so far projected a face in Delhi, which goes to polls on December 4.

Later, in the evening, Vijay Goel said: “...The reports in certain sections of the media regarding my walking out and the threat to resign are baseless.”