New Delhi, The BJP stalwart and current Member of Parliament for South Delhi was finally awarded what he deserved for decades for his contribution to the party that spreads over to five decades when the principle opposition party declared him as its chief ministerial candidate for the national capital.

Even as he has been chosen to spearhead party campaign for the assembly polls in Delhi, Malhotra has a difficult task ahead as his Congress counterpart Sheila Dixit is standing for third term with a strong development plank that has paid her and ruling party rich dividends for the last one decade.

"BJP's central parliamentary board met under the leadership of party president Rajnath Singh and decided to elect V K Malhotra as party chief ministerial candidate for forthcoming Delhi assembly polls. He will head the party's poll campaign. Malhotra has a long association with the city," announced Arun Jaitley, BJP general secretary.

Malhotra who deserved to head the BJP government in the state much before for his seniority in the party, was denied this opportunity as he had running feud with party's second tallest leader and now Prime Ministerial candidate L K Advani. It was the Leader of Opposition who always blocked his way whenever chances came whether becoming a minister at the centre or heading a party government in Delhi, where he lived after his family migrated from Pakistan during partition.

Another serious problem Malhotra would face in case BJP manages to come to power at the time of selection of ministers as he is known for not having a group in Delhi BJP. Malhotra has a great following in his parliamentary constituency, but has never attempted to build a pressure group within the state party.

The BJP is heavily banking on the anti-incumbency, which has hit Sheila government as her party lost badly to BJP in the previous municipal elections. The significant inroads that the Bahujan Samaj Party has made during municipal polls could also be a major factor, which make dents in Congress bastion. The BJP do have chance to come to power in Delhi provided anti-incumbency and BSP factors work. Malhotra cannot beat Sheila certainly on development plank. Delhi has never seen such a huge development of infrastructure during last ten years when Sheila ruled the city.

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