Harsh Malhotra, Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways and Corporate Affairs, who has been appointed the new Delhi BJP chief, took over from outgoing state president Virendra Sachdeva on Thursday in the presence of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.

“The responsibilities in the BJP are like a 400-m relay race, and Virendra Sachdeva ji handed over the baton of responsibility to me today… I pledge that with the support of thousands of BJP workers and the guidance of the leadership, I would make every possible effort to strengthen the party and accelerate the work of the Delhi Government,” Malhotra told mediapersons at the BJP office.

“All former state presidents, under whose guidance I had worked, are present today to bless me… After 27 years, the BJP formed a government in Delhi and Rekha Gupta became the CM. This achievement was the result of the hard work of thousands of BJP workers and the inspirational leadership of outgoing president Virendra Sachdeva…,” he said, while also thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president Nitin Nabin.

Besides the CM, the event was attended by Delhi Ministers Parvesh Sahib Singh, Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Ashish Sood, MPs Manoj Tiwari and Bansuri Swaraj, as well as senior leaders and party workers.

Sachdeva, meanwhile, said, “Delhi today has a successful BJP government working with strong principles, and it is now the responsibility of new president Harsh Malhotra to take those works and principles to even greater heights… He possesses extensive administrative experience as mayor, MP, and minister, along with long organisational experience.”

“I have full confidence that Malhotra would guide and support all Delhi BJP workers and colleagues in the same spirit as Sachdeva ji and continue to keep everyone united as one family,” the CM added.

With Punjab elections and MCD elections ahead, BJP has fielded its Punjabi faces in key roles and leadership roles. The party has two Punjabis in Delhi cabinet —Manjinder Singh Sirsa, a Sikh leader and Ashish Sood, a Mona Punjabi. Delhi LG Taranjit Singh Sandhu is also a Sikh face from BJP, besides Sirsa.

“As the new Delhi BJP chief, his immediate challenge will be leading the party in the MCD elections next year. Another key task would be ensuring coordination between the party organisation and the Delhi Government,” a senior BJP leader said.

Senior leaders also believe that Malhotra’s role as Union MoS for Road Transport and Highways and Corporate Affairs could help expedite infrastructure projects in Delhi. “He has been in the good books of the top party leadership. Besides, he is known for being non-rebel, calm and taking everyone along,” said another leader.

Malhotra has been a long-time worker of the BJP and was active in municipal politics before the party fielded him from its East Delhi stronghold in the last Lok Sabha election. He was the general secretary of the Delhi BJP when he was picked to contest the seat represented by Gautam Gambhir, the former India cricketer and head coach of the national side, in 2024.

He won 52.33% of the total vote, defeating Kuldeep Kumar, the AAP leader who is currently the MLA from Kondli. He polled 6.64 lakh votes against Kumar’s 5.71 lakh votes, a victory margin of 93,663 votes.

While Malhotra’s margin of victory was the smallest in terms of vote share among the seven BJP MPs who were elected to Lok Sabha from Delhi, he became the only MP from Delhi to become a part of the Union Council of Ministers in PM Modi’s third term. In 2025, he was given responsibilities in West Bengal ahead of Assembly polls.

Malhotra, who studied botany and later law at Delhi University, is known as a loyal “organisation man”. “He has been with the BJP from the beginning of his political career, and has loyally and silently worked for the party for decades,” a party official said.

An active volunteer of RSS and ABVP, Malhotra began his political journey in late 1980s from as a member of BJP Yuva morcha and entered active politics in 1991. Over the years, he has held several organisational positions, including Yuva Morcha Mandal president, district Yuva Morcha secretary and district general secretary (organisation). He became BJP district president in 2007 and later served as Delhi BJP general secretary. He had also headed the party’s training department. While in 2012, he won the MCD elections from Welcome Colony, he became the Mayor of East Delhi Municipal Corporation in 2015.