NEW DELHI, 19 February (H.S.) :

Former Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and the party's

National Secretary, Om Prakash Dhankar, made as 'observers' by the

Parliamentary Party to meet the gathering of newly elected MLAs today.

BJP's parliamentary board

meeting has started in Delhi. PM Modi is presiding over this meeting. The

selection process began at noon at PM's Residence at Lok Kalyan Marg, when the

BJP's Parliamentary Board, its highest decision-making body met to decide on former

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and the party's National Secretary, Om

Prakash Dhankar, as 'observers' for the gathering of newly elected MLAs today.

A few Ministers were also present in the meeting. The BJP's MLAs will now meet

at 6.15 pm with Mr Prasad and Mr Dhankar to select their leader in the

Assembly, who will become the Chief Minister. The BJP Parliamentary Board meeting ends early, it is

assumed that the decision taken on new CM of Delhi, decision will be sent by

slip at 6.30 pm.

The new Chief Minister will then take his/her oath in a

grand ceremony at 11 am Thursday. The oath ceremony to be held at the city's

iconic Ramlila Maidan, which will start from 11 am to 12.34 pm, sources said.

The oath itself will be at 12.05 pm.

Sources also said there will be three stages set up; one

for the PM, Home Minister Amit Shah, Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, and the new

Chief Minister, a second for invited religious leaders, and a third for MPs and

MLAs, of whom over 200, from the BJP and allies, have been invited.

Hindusthan Samachar / Meenakshi Bhattacharya