Final decision on Delhi CM candidate at appropriate time: BJP

BJP today remained non-committal on announcing its chief ministerial candidate for the Delhi Assembly polls and said it has at least seven leaders who are suitable for the post and that a final decision on the issue will be taken at an "appropriate time".
Former party president and in-charge of Delhi election Nitin Gadkari said BJP Parliamentary Board will take a final decision on the issue.
"Our President and Parliamentary Board will take a decision at an appropriate time. There was no problem among us. We not only have one or three people but we have five to seven leaders who are capable of becoming chief minister," Gadkari told PTI.

He said there has been a "wave" in favour of BJP in Delhi and the party was confident of winning the polls with a "two-third majority" in the 70-member Assembly.
Senior leader Harsh Vardhan, considered close to the RSS, was considered a front runner as party's chief ministerial candidate but party sources said Delhi BJP chief Vijay Goel was also a strong contender.
They said a number of senior party leaders are of the view that the party should announce the chief ministerial candidate at the earliest and even conveyed their opinion to top central leaders.

"Be it Delhi Assembly polls or be it the general election, it is not important who is the chief ministerial candidate or who is the prime ministerial candidate. What matters is which party is winning the elections," said Gadkari.

The party feels Delhi Assembly elections are one of the crucial state polls ahead of the Lok Sabha elections and the party cannot afford to lose it for a fourth consecutive time.
The stakes for the party are high in view of the campaign being mounted for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
There was a growing view within the party that Vardhan, a former Delhi minister with a clean image, would pose a tough challenge to Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit who will be seeking a fourth consecutive victory in the polls.