New Delhi:
In a dramatic turn of events, Vijender Gupta, a BJP MLA from Rohini, is set to take the reins as the Speaker of the Delhi Assembly, a decade after he was forcibly removed from the same House. This significant shift follows the BJP’s remarkable victory in the 2025 Delhi elections.
On November 30, 2015, chaos erupted in the Delhi Assembly when Vijender Gupta and other BJP MLAs clashed with the ruling AAP over alleged derogatory remarks made by BJP’s OP Sharma against AAP MLA Alka Lamba. The incident saw Gupta, then dressed in a white kurta-pyjama, being lifted and dragged out by marshals after he refused to leave the House as ordered by Speaker Ram Niwas Goel. Despite his fierce resistance, Gupta was eventually ejected to allow the Budget proceedings to continue.
Fast forward to 2025, Gupta has retained his Rohini seat and is now poised to preside over the Assembly he was once thrown out of. “I am grateful to the party for entrusting me with this role. I will ensure responsible conduct in the Assembly and encourage meaningful discussions,” Gupta stated in an interview.
Gupta’s appointment is seen as a significant challenge for the AAP, given his promise to table 14 pending reports by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) that allegedly expose financial irregularities and mismanagement by the former AAP government. These reports, according to Gupta, will reveal how the AAP misled the people of Delhi with false promises.
Prior to his new role, Gupta served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Legislative Assembly for two terms. His nomination as Speaker comes after the BJP’s surprise win in the recent elections, which also saw Rekha Gupta, a first-time MLA from Shalimar Bagh, being nominated as the new Chief Minister of Delhi.
