Vijay Goel no longer in race for Delhi CM's post

Anxiety that Goel might incite others to turn rebels is delaying announcement of BJP's CM candidate

Although it is now almost clear that Vijay Goel will not be the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s nominee for the chief ministership of Delhi, the announcement declaring Harshvardhan the candidate is taking time because the BJP is in damage control mode.

It is not the apprehension of Goel and his supporters’ inactivity in the forthcoming election that is worrying the party. It is the anxiety that Goel might incite others to turn rebels which could sabotage the chances of sitting candidates and jeopardise the BJP’s chances in the forthcoming assembly polls that is delaying the decision.

While Goel might continue to be the president of the party in Delhi, effective powers to grant nominations might be taken away from him, preventing a situation where the chief ministerialk candidate might be harshvardhan but his supporting team could be Goel’s.

Top BJP sources said a via media the party had considered was nominating someone from the erstwhile Punjabi lobby or a Poorvanchali – both communities which are sizeable in number in delhi and are traditionally BJP supporters – as chief ministers, given that both Harshvardhan and Goel were Banias.

However that has now been ruled out. Goel has been told that some of his supporters will be assured tickets and he himself will be given a nomination to a Lok Sabha seat of his choice.

The final decision will be taken by the Parliamentary Board which can meet only after Narendra Modi’s engagements are over and he is free to attend the meeting.

Modi is addressing a series of rallies in UP followed by the Hunkar rally in Patna on 27 October. It is only after that that a meeting of the Parliamentary Board is possible. The intervening period will be utilised by the party to mollify and placate Goel.