PM to be Face of BJP's Delhi Campaign; Sheila Dikshit Says She's Out

New Delhi: With elections being gonged-down for Delhi, the BJP is unequivocal about its strategy for the campaign. "PM Modi is already the face of the party. We have had a historic win under him.  There is no question of changing the face," said Union minister Nitin Gadkari to NDTV today.

The cabinet has today ordered that the capital's legislative assembly be dissolved; once that happens, elections have to be held within six months. Delhi has been run by the central government since Arvind Kejriwal, head of the Aam Aadmi Party, ended a 49-day term in February for his minority government. The election in December saw the BJP getting the most seats, but not a clear majority. Mr Kejriwal then took office with support from the Congress.

Yesterday, the BJP formally said that though it is the largest party in the current Assembly, it is not interested in taking a shot at forming the government, a stand reportedly urged by  Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In last month's state elections in Maharashtra and Haryana, the BJP racked up historic results. The party did not declare a candidate for Chief Minister in either state that voted. Instead, the PM campaigned exhaustively, asking voters directly for their support. Given the epic political profits of the strategy, the BJP plans more of the same for Delhi.

Many within the Congress, which was relegated to an embarrassing third place in the capital in the last Delhi election, feel that the party should forefront Sheila Dikshit, who served three successive terms as chief minister. That's "out of the question," said Ms Dikshit, who resigned recently as Governor of Kerala, a post she took up after the Congress lost the Delhi election.

Speaking to NDTV, Ms Dikshit said, "I am out of Delhi politics." Her advice to her party: "The Congress should not project a Chief Ministerial candidate in Delhi." Ms Dikshit said her party should instead stick to its tradition of elected law-makers choosing their leader once the results are declared.