Despite Rekha Gupta being chosen, the party leadership faced the challenge of keeping senior leaders happy. Just before the meeting started, three senior leaders were called for a separate discussion. These leaders were Vijender Gupta, Satish Upadhyay, and Pravesh Sahib Singh Verma.
It wasn’t easy to manage the power balance in Delhi. With 48 legislators, choosing the right Chief Minister and ministers was a big challenge. Although the BJP didn’t announce a name for Chief Minister before the elections, they did field several senior leaders. From the start, there were speculations that if the BJP formed the government, there would be a tough competition for the Chief Minister position among many senior leaders.
Suspense Over the Chief Minister’s Name Until the Last Minute
There was a lot of speculation about who would become Delhi’s next Chief Minister, and people made guesses based on Delhi’s complex caste and social makeup. Among the 48 MLAs, 11 were from the Jat community, including Pravesh Sahib Singh Verma, who defeated Arvind Kejriwal in New Delhi. There was also the consideration that BJP’s core voters, the Punjabi and Vaishya communities, should be given important positions.
How the Leaders Who Might Be Upset Were Convince?
Despite Rekha Gupta being chosen, the party leadership still had the challenge of keeping senior leaders satisfied. Just before the meeting started, three senior leaders were called for a separate discussion. These leaders were Vijender Gupta, Satish Upadhyay, and Pravesh Sahib Singh Verma. Two senior women leaders, Alka Gurjar and Kamaljeet Sahrawat, were asked to explain what the party’s high command wanted. After a 10-minute meeting, these senior leaders were given the responsibility to propose Rekha Gupta’s name for Chief Minister.
Announcing Ministers’ Names After Deciding on the Chief Minister, Considering Caste Equations
While choosing the Chief Minister, caste and social equations were considered, but the bigger challenge was forming a cabinet with the right mix of ministers. Keeping the upcoming elections in Bihar in mind, two leaders from the Purvanchal region were included in the cabinet. Kapil Mishra, who represents both the Brahmin and Purvanchal communities, was one of them, while Pankaj Kumar Singh, a first-time MLA from Vikas Puri, represents the Purvanchal Thakur community. Ravi Sharma was included to represent the Jat community, and Manjinder Singh Sirsa was included to give representation to the Sikh community.
Also Read: When Amit Shah’s ‘Pick’ Rekha Gupta Becomes Delhi’s Chief Minister – 6 Major Challenges Ahead
