Malhotra elected BJP leader in Delhi Assembly

NEW DELHI: V K Malhotra, BJP's Chief Ministerial candidate in the Delhi Assembly polls, was today unanimously elected as leader of BJP's state Legislature Party.

Malhotra, the 78-year-old MLA from Greater Kailash Assembly constituency, was chosen as the leader at a meeting of party MLAs here this morning during which outgoing Leader of Opposition Jagdish Mukhi proposed his name.

BJP Delhi chief Harsh Vardhan seconded his name at the meeting in which Thawachand was the party's central observer. Party General Secretary Arun Jaitley, who oversaw BJP's campaign in Delhi, was not present at the meeting though he was named an observer.

Malhotra's election came a day after he resigned as MP from south Delhi in Lok Sabha.

There was speculation that Malhotra might return to national politics after the party's debacle in the Assembly elections.

Announcing his decision to resign from Lok Sabha, Malhotra had said on Sunday, "I have decided to resign from my Parliamentary seat of south Delhi and will work for the people of my Greater Kailash assembly constituency, who have shown faith in me by electing me as an MLA."

BJP, which was hoping to end the ten-year Congress rule in the capital riding on anti-incumbency factor, received a drubbing in the elections which saw the grand old party registering a historic hatrick in power.

Congress won 43 seats while BJP bagged 23 out of the 70 seats. BSP emerged victorious in two while INLD and LJP won one seat each.