Veteran BJP leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra was on Friday named party's chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming assembly polls in Delhi.
The BJP parliamentary board announced the 77-year-old leader's name as there was a lack of consensus over former Union minister Vijay Goel and Delhi party chief Harsh Vardhan.
Goel had the backing of BJP chief Rajnath Singh and Harsh Vardhan of Sushma Swaraj.
Talking about it senior leader Arun Jaitley said, "Malhotra is a senior and acceptable leader. He has the potential to lead the party to the Assembly elections and come out victorious."
It was then that the party's prime ministerial candidate LK Advani swung it in Malhotra's favour.
Between celebrations, Malhotra â the party's MP from South Delhi â listed what was on his agenda: sadak, bijli, pani, a clean Yamuna, less pollution and welfare of the poor in slums. Another priority for him will be to complete all procedures to hang Afzal Guru, the man convicted for the Parliament attack in December 2001, Malhotra told reporters. Goel skipped the press conference but Harsh Vardhan accompanied Malhotra and pledged support.
The Congress is yet to name its chief ministerial candidate for the polls, expected by December.
Malhotra had seniority in his favour.
He has been around in Delhi politics for 40 years â since he became the member of the first municipal council in 1958. He also served as the chief executive councillor of Delhi (chief minister in protocol) during 1967-72.
