The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is preparing for a grand swearing-in ceremony in Delhi as it returns to power in the capital after a 26-year gap.
The new Chief Minister of Delhi will take the oath of office on Thursday at the iconic Ramlila Maidan in a ceremony that promises to be a spectacle.
The event will be attended by BJP leaders, ministers, allies, and a host of prominent figures, including film stars, industrialists, and diplomats.
The ceremony, scheduled to begin at 4.30 pm, will feature a colourful musical programme on the stage of Ramlila Maidan, with renowned artist Kailash Kher slated to perform.
A range of high-profile attendees will be present, including Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers from 20 states, as well as diplomats from major countries.
BJP leaders and workers from across the nation who campaigned in the Delhi elections are also expected to attend the occasion, along with over 50 film stars and industrialists.
In addition to the political elite, the ceremony will see the presence of farmers from Delhi, beneficiaries of central government schemes, and common citizens.
Spiritual leaders such as Baba Ramdev, Swami Chidananda, and Baba Bageshwar Dhirendra Shastri are also set to attend, adding a spiritual dimension to the event.
While the event is being meticulously planned, the identity of Delhi’s next Chief Minister remains uncertain. A decision on the candidate has been delayed, partly due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent foreign trips to France and the United States.
Despite Modi’s return to India, no announcement has been made regarding the selection of the new leader, adding to the suspense surrounding the ceremony.
Parvesh Verma, the son of former Chief Minister Saheb Singh Verma, is widely considered the front-runner for the position. However, sources reveal that the list of potential candidates for the top job includes at least 15 names.
These include possible contenders for the cabinet and the Assembly Speaker positions. Nine names will ultimately be chosen, and Delhi is set to have eight ministers, including the new Chief Minister.
The BJP’s success in the recent election, which took place earlier this month, marked a dramatic comeback.
The party won 48 of the 70 seats in the Delhi Assembly, dealing a crushing blow to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which saw its seat count fall to 22 from a commanding 62.
The AAP’s defeat followed a series of corruption allegations, which tarnished the party’s image.
Among the most significant of these was the alleged liquor policy scam, which saw several top leaders, including former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy, Manish Sisodia, spending months in jail.
Further fuelling discontent was the "Sheesh Mahal" scandal, which involved the alleged lavish revamp of Kejriwal's official residence at a cost of ₹33.6 cr.
Critics labelled the renovation, which turned the residence into an opulent bungalow, as an example of the AAP leadership’s disconnect with the common people, especially given the party’s emphasis on governance for the common man.
These scandals seemed to have overshadowed the party’s once-celebrated governance record, contributing to its fall from power in the capital.
The BJP’s return to power represents a significant shift in Delhi’s political landscape. The party’s victory in the assembly elections is seen as a reflection of growing dissatisfaction with the AAP, particularly in the wake of the corruption allegations that plagued the party.
The grand oath ceremony at Ramlila Maidan will mark the culmination of this political transformation and signal the start of a new chapter in Delhi’s governance.
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