IANS/New Delhi
After days of indecision, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) yesterday named medical doctor and former state health minister Harsh Vardhan as its Delhi chief ministerial candidate, despite state party chief Vijay Goel’s claims.
The announcement came following a meeting of the BJP parliamentary board which was attended, among others, by party president Rajnath Singh and senior leader L K Advani.
Making the announcement, Rajnath Singh said: “The central parliamentary board has unanimously decided to project Harsh Vardhan as the BJP’s chief ministerial candidate for the Delhi elections.”
He also said Goel met party leaders on Sunday and consented to the decision.
Backing Vardhan, Advani said the decision was “unanimous.”
“Harsh Vardhan is best amongst all and enjoys the confidence of the people of Delhi,” said party leader Nitin Gadkari, also the Delhi election in-charge. Senior leaders Sushma Swaraj and Murli Manohar Joshi and ex-mayor Arti Mehra were also present.
BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi too congratulated Vardhan on micro-blogging site Twitter. “Congratulations to Harsh Vardhan on being named BJP’s CM candidate for upcoming Delhi elections. My best wishes.”
After the announcement, Vardhan offered sweets to Goel.
An ENT specialist, the BJP leader enjoys wide party support and has a “clean image,” which according to party sources led to his selection.
Speaking to reporters, Vardhan said he would rid the people of Delhi of Congress’s misrule.
“I would like to assure the people of Delhi that with their blessings we will win the upcoming elections and free them from corrupt Congress’s misrule - first in Delhi and then at the centre,” he said.
Goel, who was pitching for the top post, said he was “not upset” with the decision.
“There are times when certain decisions are not to your liking but I have never violated the party’s discipline and the party as well as the workers have always loved and supported me,” he told reporters.
“I was never upset with the party nor will I ever be in the future,” he added.
The announcement ended days of speculation on Goel who was trying to project himself for the post. Media reports suggested Goel had threatened to resign from his post if Vardhan was projected as the chief minister - a charge refuted by Goel and senior party leaders.
Within moments of the announcement, party workers, especially Vardhan’s supporters, erupted in joy and started bursting firecrackers and danced outside the party office.
Vardhan was elected from Krishna Nagar constituency in east Delhi for the first time in 1993 and went on to retain the seat in the 1998, 2003 and 2008 assembly elections.
Vardhan held portfolios of education, law and health in the BJP government in Delhi from 1993 to 1998. He is married to Nutan, a specialist in hospital administration.
