BJP to pick new Delhi CM on Feb 19, oath-taking on 20

The swearing-in of Delhi's new chief minister on Feb 20 will be a grand NDA event, attended by PM Modi and top leaders, marking BJP's return after 27 years.

The swearing-in ceremony of the next Delhi chief minister is set to become a mega show of strength by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the event is likely to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah, the chief ministers of all 20 states controlled by the alliance, celebrities and prominent citizens, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders said on Monday.

BJP to pick new Delhi CM on Feb 19, oath-taking on 20

The oath-taking ceremony is likely to be held on February 20 at the Ramlila Maidan on a mammoth scale as the party looks to stamp its return to the Capital after 27 years with a mega event. The chief minister is likely to be named at a BJP legislature party meeting to be held on February 19, after which the newly elected BJP legislature party leader as well as other lawmakers will drive to Raj Niwas and stake claim to power, said BJP leaders aware of the matter.

“It has been decided that the swearing-in ceremony of the new chief minister and cabinet will be held at Ramlila Maidan as it was at that historic location that the first mega protest, led by Jayaprakash Narayan, was held in 1975 against Indira Gandhi’s government,” said Virendra Sachdeva, chief of the Delhi BJP unit.

The ceremony is likely to take place at 4.30pm.

A BJP leader said all efforts were being made to make the swearing-in ceremony a grand affair as the party won Delhi after 27 years.

”The guest list will include PM Narendra Modi, home minister Amit Shah, party chief JP Nadda, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis and all other CMs of the BJP and NDA ruled states, and over 200 MPs from the BJP and NDA parties. Among the guests will also be noted businesspersons and technocrats of the country,” said the leader, asking not to be named.

The leader said performances by leading Bollywood singers were being planned.

Sachdeva highlighted the symbolic importance of the venue for the ceremony. “After the Emergency ended, the first mega rally took place at that ground. Now, the anarchy government of the AAP has been defeated in Delhi, and the new government will also be sworn in at Ramlila Maidan,” said Sachdeva.

The Ramlila Maidan, which can accommodate around 30,000 people, was being spruced up on Monday with its boundary walls getting a fresh coat of paint and workers cleaning the sprawling ground, and the pavements and roads around it.

Dozens of workers were seen erecting the pillars for the tent meant to accommodate guests and party supporters, while a separate group of workers were busy painting the main stage from which lieutenant governor VK Saxena will administer the oath of office to the new chief minister and cabinet members.

“The layout of the tents, including a VIP block for dignitaries, is being finalised. Around 1 lakh people are expected to be inside and outside the venue,” a second leader said, requesting anonymity.

Speculation has mounted in the Capital about the next chief minister after the BJP won an impressive mandate in the recently concluded assembly elections, the results of which were announced on February 8. The party ended the decade-long rule of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), winning 48 seats in the 70-member House to AAP’s 22.

Since then, the party has remained tight-lipped about its chief ministerial pick. But that speculation is set to end on Wednesday when the legislature party is set to meet.

“During the meeting of the legislature party on Wednesday, the MLAs will discuss and select the new chief minister, who will later go to Raj Niwas along with the BJP MLAs and stake claim to form the new government in Delhi,” said a secondBJP leader, asking not to be named.

Among those in the running to become the CM are Parvesh Verma, who defeated former CM Arvind Kejriwal from New Delhi, Shalimar Bagh MLA Rekha Gupta, Rohini MLA Vijender Gupta, Malviya Nagar MLA Satish Upadhyay, Janakpuri MLA Ashish Sood, Uttam Nagar MLA Pawan Sharma and Ghonda MLA Ajay Mahawar.

BJP leaders said the new cabinet is likely to have the representation of Jat, Dalit, Purvanchali, Sikh, Uttarakhand migrants, and Baniyas. Senior leaders Tarun Chugh and Vinod Tawde have been appointed coordinators for the swearing-in ceremony. On Monday evening, Chugh arrived at the office of the Delhi BJP to discuss the preparations. Senior leaders of the Delhi BJP have been deputed to oversee the arrangements at Ramlila Maidan and they will be visiting the historic ground on Tuesday to take stock of the preparations, Delhi BJP said.

The BJP is yet to appoint observers for holding talks with the newly-elected legislators. “The observers will likely talk to MLAs before the legislature party meeting on Wednesday,” said a third BJP leader, asking not to be named.

The victory in Delhi is important for the BJP as it was the first major electoral battle for 2025 and fortified the party;s claim as the national political hegemon after the setback of the 2024 general elections when it failed to secure a full majority on its own. With an unexpected win in Haryana, a landslide victory in Maharashtra, and now a two-thirds majority in Delhi, the BJP managed to wrest the political momentum and is now set to use this to push through big-ticket policy proposals and set the political agenda for the year.