New Delhi: In a significant political milestone, Rekha Gupta was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Delhi on Thursday afternoon, marking the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) return to power in the national capital after a 27-year hiatus. The oath-taking ceremony, held at the Ramlila Maidan, was attended by high-profile dignitaries including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President JP Nadda, and several senior Union ministers.
Gupta, a 50-year-old first-time MLA from the Shalimar Bagh constituency, becomes the fourth woman to hold the office of Chief Minister in Delhi, following in the footsteps of Sushma Swaraj, Sheila Dikshit, and Atishi. Her appointment was confirmed late Wednesday after a series of meetings involving the BJP’s Parliamentary Board and the party’s newly elected MLAs.
Parvesh Verma, who garnered attention for defeating Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal in the New Delhi constituency, was sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister. Other BJP MLAs inducted into the cabinet include Kapil Mishra, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Ashish Sood, Pankaj Kumar Singh, and Ravindra Kumar Indraj. These appointments signal a new era in Delhi’s governance, with the BJP having won 48 out of 70 assembly seats in the recent elections.
The ceremony, which began at 12:35 PM, was a grand affair with top leaders of the BJP, business personalities, and cultural figures in attendance. Gupta’s journey to the top began in 1992 when she joined the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) at Delhi University. She later served as the President of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) and as a councillor from North Pitampura, where she initiated several local development projects.
Gupta’s selection is seen as a strategic move by the BJP to strengthen its appeal among women voters. Her government has pledged to implement several key promises, including the disbursement of Rs 2,500 to eligible women beneficiaries by March 8, International Women’s Day, and initiatives to upgrade infrastructure and clean the Yamuna river.
The BJP’s victory in Delhi marks a significant shift in the political landscape, ending the AAP’s decade-long dominance. The new government faces the challenge of delivering on its election promises and improving the governance of the city.
