Delhi CM Race: Following the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) thumping win in the national capital, the suspense over the new Chief Minister continues as the saffron party mulls over several names for the top post. Amid the wait for the announcement, media reports have surfaced claiming that Delhi could get a woman Chief Minister. The BJP thrashed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), securing 48 out of 70 seats, ending the Arvind Kejriwal-led party’s decade-long rule.

According to media reports, the next CM will be chosen from among the newly elected MLAs and a woman legislator could emerge as the CM’s face. Among the 48 newly elected MLAs of the saffron party, four women—Neelam Pahalwan, Rekha Gupta, Poonam Sharma, and Shikha Roy.

Neelam Pahalwan has been elected the first woman MLA from the Najafgarh seat, Rekha Gupta, a former Delhi University Students’ Union president, secured the Shalimar Bagh seat, Poonam Sharma has bagged the Wazirpur seat, and Shikha Roy defeated senior AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj. The media reports have also suggested that the BJP would also consider caste equations and may opt for an MLA from the Scheduled Caste.

Four of the BJP MLAs are from the Scheduled Caste—Raj Kumar Chauhan, elected in Mangolpuri; Ravikant Ujjain (Trilokpuri); Ravinder Indraj Singh (Bawana); and Kailash Gangwal (Madipur).

Meanwhile, after the saffron party’s poll victory, Parvesh Verma, who defeated former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal from the New Delhi constituency, emerged as the frontrunner for the top post. Verma, former Delhi chief minister Sahib Singh Verma’s son, thanked the people following the victory and called the result “the victory of the people of the national capital.”

“This is not just my victory; this is the victory of the people of Delhi who chose truth over lies, governance over gimmicks, and development over deception. I humbly thank every voter who trusted me,” he said.

Verma further said under the strong leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP national president J. P. Nadda, they would work tirelessly to bring a “real change” in Delhi. “This mandate is a clear message that people want honest, transparent, and development-driven politics. My commitment to serve with integrity and dedication remains unwavering,” Verma said. A former MP of the West Delhi constituency, Verma said a “new chapter has begun for Delhi,” and together, “we will build a brighter future.”