The new Delhi Chief Minister – identity as yet unknown since the Bharatiya Janata Party has not named anyone – will take oath at 4.30 pm Thursday. The venue, also not yet announced, is likely to be the city’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. 48 newly-elected BJP Delhi MLAs are expected to meet Wednesday to select their leader, who will then likely replace the AAP’s Atishi as Delhi’s new Chief Minister. The odds-on favourite for the Chief Minister’ post is two-time ex-MP Parvesh Verma, who defeated AAP boss and former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to win the New Delhi constituency. The BJP engineered a triumphant return to power in Delhi after the February 5 election. The party won 48 of Delhi’s 70 Assembly seats after winning a combined 11 in two previous polls. The AAP, looking to win a third straight term, found itself dragged down by attacks targeting party boss Arvindjriwal over the ‘sheeshmahal’ and liquor excise policy scandals, among others.
