Rumblings in Delhi BJP over CM candidate, Goel stakes claim

The rumblings within Delhi BJP today reached the party's top leadership with sulking local unit chief Vijay Goel opposing any move to project Harsha Vardhan as the chief ministerial candidate.
Goel met BJP president Rajnath Singh and Narendra Modi minutes before the party's Central Election Committee meeting here today to decide candidate for Chhattisgarh Assembly polls and told them about his opposition to Harsha Vardhan's candidature.
The Delhi unit chief is understood to have told the top party leaders that any move to project Harsha Vardhan will harm the party's interest and will demoralise workers at the grassroot level.
Goel reportedly projected his case for the party's chief ministerial candidate in Delhi saying that he had worked hard to strengthen the party in Delhi last eights months.

After his meeting, he left in a huff and refused to entertain any queries of media persons.
Scores of Goel supporters also raised slogans in favour of him outside the BJP headquarters at Ashok Road where the meeting was held.

Sources said Goel was specially called for the meeting to discuss the issue of Chief Ministerial candidate for Delhi.
Amid talks of party having zeroed in on Harsha Vardhan's name, leaders had called Goel for agreeing on the name to avoid any conflict in the party ahead of polls.
When asked about any move to name the chief ministerial candidate in Delhi, party president Rajnath Singh later said, "the BJP's Parliamentary Board Meeting is yet to be held".

Later in the evening, Goel issued a statement rejecting reports that he walked out of election committee meeting held at party headquarters here.
"Since I am not a member of the Central Election Committee of BJP, I was not to attend the meeting of the same which took place this evening. Therefore the reports in certain sections of media regarding my walking out and threat to resign are baseless," he said.
The Delhi unit of the party is already facing a crisis and is faction-ridden.