Sushma Swaraj replaces Verma as Delhi CM
Delhi Chief Minister Sahib Singh Verma resigned today in deference to the wishes of the Bharatiya Janata Party leadership.
Announcing this after hectic discussions through the day, party general secretary M Venkaiah Naidu said Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj would succeed Verma.
"We have decided to go to the polls under the leadership of Mrs Swaraj. This was a collective decision to which Mr Sahib Singh was also a party," Naidu said.
Naidu categorically denied that Verma had refused to resign. "Mr Sahib Singh did not refuse to resign. He expressed his views at the meeting," he said.
The meeting, which began at noon, was attended, besides the chief minister, by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani, party president Shashikant 'Kushabhau' Thakre, Naidu and Pramod Mahajan.
After three hours, Verma left the prime minister's residence, looking very unhappy. Later in the evening, the top leadership of the BJP met again. This time Swaraj and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Madan Lal Khurana were also summoned for the meeting where it was decided that Verma would step down.
The decision to bring in a new chief minister prior to the November 25 assembly elections was taken as the party leadership felt that with Verma at the helm, the BJP would not fare well.
UNI
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