Live: First will free Delhi from Congress then nation, says Harsh Vardhan, Harsh Vardhan BJP CM Candidate, Delhi, Nation, Delhi BJP, Delhi congress, Delhi news, Vijay Goel.

 First will free Delhi from Congress then nation, says Harsh Vardhan, Harsh Vardhan BJP CM Candidate.

1:10 pm: Will free capital and then nation from Congress, says Harsh Vardhan

The man of the moment, Harsh Vardhan said he was thankful that the BJP had picked him to be the party’s chief ministerial candidate and promised to deliver. “First we will give the state freedom from the Congress’ corruption and then we will free the nation from it,” he said. 

12:45 pm: Harsh Vardhan not a good MLA, BJP corrupt, says Kejriwal

As expected Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal came out strongly against the BJP’s choice for chief ministerial candidate and said it was merely an eyewash. “Harsh Vardhan was an MLA and he has not asked even a single question,” Kejriwal said pointing to the leader’s ineffectiveness. Kejriwal said that the BJP had been horribly corrupt in their handling of the Delhi municipal corporation and the people of Delhi shouldn’t put their hope on the party.

12:35 pm: I have a bigger responsibility now, says Goel

He may have been hopeful of becoming the party’s chief ministerial candidate but Vijay Goel said that he has no reason to be upset about the party’s decision to bypass him. “Whatever decision the Parliamentary Board takes it is final… I was never upset about it and never will be. I have a bigger responsibility now,” Goel told reporters. In a meeting today I told my supporters to back Dr Harsh Vardhan, he said. “Over the last 8 months, the work we have done will take us to success. We have exposed the corruption of the Congress government and we will defeat them,” Goel said.

12:15 pm: AAP, Congress dismiss Harshvardhan’s candidature

Fellow party leader Manish Sisodia also said that the BJP has no strong voice to tackle the corruption of Sheila Dikshit. Meanwhile the Congress has come out all guns blazing against the BJP. “They are no competition for us, we are not worried at all,” Shakeel Ahmad, the Congress party in charge of Delhi, said.

12:05 pm: Advani gives his blessings, Goel and Harshvardhan hug it out

LK Advani also had some words of support for the party’s chief ministerial candidate and said that the party’s ascent in national politics was following the party’s success in the Delhi elections. Advani also went out of his way to praise Goel for his work in making the party ready to compete in the next elections. Rajnath Singh then took over and silenced some over-enthusiastic party activists who had begun to shout slogans in favour of Harshvardhan. The party then presented the photo opportunity everyone was waiting for with Goel and Harshvardhan hugging each other and feeding each other sweets. A happy picture all round.

11:50 am: Singh formalises Harshvardhan as party’s CM candidate

After a brief game of musical chairs, Goel and Harshvardhan managed to get seats on the podium and former Chief ministerial candidate VK Malhotra was briefly unseated. Finally someone managed to get Malhotra a chair as well and the press conference begins. As expected, Rajnath Singh minced no words and went straight to the point. “After considering all factors the central parliamentary board has decided that Dr Harshvardhan should be presented as the party’s chief ministerial candidate,” Singh said. During the BJP’s administration of Delhi, Harshvardhan’s work had been noted not only in the nation’s capital but across the country, the BJP president said. “I had spoken Vijay Goel who is the Delhi unit chief and he had said that Harshvardhan should be the Chief ministerial candidate,” he said. Singh gave credit to Goel for helping the party grow ahead of the elections and said he was sure he that the party would come to power in Delhi.

11:30 pm: Rajnath Singh expected to make formal announcement soon

Party president Rajnath Singh is expected to make the announcement about the party’s chief ministerial candidate shortly. In all likelihood, he will have Vijay Goel and Harshvardhan by his side when he makes the announcement in order to present a united front before the media. However, as Firstpost had reported yesterday, despite the BJP getting its act together finally, the infighting over being the face of the party for its campaign may cost it in the upcoming polls.

11:10 am: Goel distributes sweets, says Harshvardhan to be CM candidate

He may be the runner up in the race for the Delhi chief ministerial candidate’s post, but Vijay Goel is still keeping a stiff upper lip for now and is even distributing sweets. The CM candidate hopeful said he was celebrating because it had been decided that Harshvardhan would be the party’s chief ministerial candidate. “Since it is about to be confirmed I am eating a ladoo,” he told reporters. However, he refused to reveal any more details “I will not tell anything now, will brief after BJP’s parliamentary board meeting,” he said before leaving for the BJP headquarters. The CM hopeful has reportedly also told his supporters to back Harshvardhan in the coming days. Whether that will work for the party remains to be seen.

10:30 am: BJP Parliamentary Board to meet shortly, could pick CM candidate for Delhi polls 

The long delay in picking the candidate and making the announcement is seen as having hurt the BJP’s campaign in a personality-driven contest now featuring incumbent chief minister Sheila Dikshit and the Aam Aadmi Party challenger Arvind Kejriwal. Party sources believe that four-time MLA, former Union health minister and practising ENT surgeon Dr Harshvardhan will be declared the party’s candidate later today.

The meeting of the Parliamentary Board will put an official seal on the decision already believed to have been taken. Sources said the party leadership had been waiting for Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley to return from his two-week tour of the United States before the Parliamentary Board meeting is convened. Jaitley’s preference for Harshvardhan is also well known.

December’s Assembly election in the capital is seen as a semi-final of sorts before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Despite some exceptions, by and large, there is a belief that the result of the Delhi poll usually reflects the mood of the nation. As the capital city, there is also tremendous symbolism attached with the Delhi Assembly poll outcome.

The party leadership had until a couple of weeks ago maintained that the party may not announce a CM candidate immediately, with Delhi in-charge Nitin Gadkari even indicating that the decision could be left until after the polls, a course correction was in order.

source:firstpost

• Prev
• Next