New Delhi, Oct 16

BJP Delhi president Vijay Goel Wednesday asserted his claim to be the capital's chief minister, saying the post must go to one who has been more "active" campaigning for the party.

Goel's statement comes amid speculation that senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Delhi health minister Harsh Vardhan could be the chief ministerial candidate in the coming assembly election.

"As far as the CM candidate is concerned, I think the one who is more active should get the post," Goel said, indicating that he had done much more towards the party's campaign.

"You can see the work we have done till now, be it campaigning or rallies. We have been successful and efficient," he said.

The Delhi BJP chief also made an emotional appeal to the media to refrain from maligning him and damaging his "clean image" by raking up a row over the party's chief ministerial candidate.

"No one has been able to level any charge against me in the last 40 years. Please don't malign my clean image," said an irritated Goel, a former student leader of Delhi University.

He argued that he was the most popular candidate in Delhi and various opinion polls had pointed to his popularity.

"Look at all the opinion polls and you will see I am the most popular candidate among the people of Delhi for the post of CM. The real fight is between me and Sheila Dikshit (incumbent chief minister)," said Goel.

The BJP leader has repeatedly brushed aside the importance of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the electoral battle for Delhi.

Goel said the final decision on who should be the chief minister would be taken by the BJP's parliamentary board.

Former BJP president Nitin Gadkari, who is in-charge of Delhi for the party, said no decision has been taken on the party's nominee for the post of chief minister.

Sheila Dikshit, who has been chief minister for almost 15 years, is the face of the Congress in Delhi and Arvind Kejriwal, a bureaucrat-turned-activist-turned politician, that of AAP.

By:IANS