Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Rekha Gupta was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Delhi on Thursday in a grand ceremony at Ramlila Maidan.
Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena administered the oath of office to Rekha Gupta and her council of ministers. Alongside her, six other ministers—Parvesh Sahib Singh, Ashish Sood, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Ravinder Indraj Singh, Kapil Mishra, and Pankaj Kumar Singh—also took the oath.
The swearing-in ceremony was attended by BJP’s top leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Minister JP Nadda, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
Several union ministers and chief ministers from neighboring states were also present, including Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha, Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Prem Chand Bairwa, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu.
Having worked in various organizational capacities and served as a councillor, Rekha Gupta is well-versed in the issues affecting Delhi. With the BJP’s manifesto promising a range of reforms, she is expected to take an active, hands-on approach from the outset. She now becomes the fourth woman to hold the office of Chief Minister in Delhi, following leaders from the BJP, Congress, and Aam Aadmi Party.
Rekha Gupta, an elected MLA from the Shalimar Bagh constituency, has played a key role in BJP’s women’s wing, serving as the general secretary of the Delhi BJP Mahila Morcha and a member of its national executive committee. In these roles, she spearheaded multiple initiatives for the upliftment of marginalized communities and women.
Her political journey began with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), a student organization affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). A graduate of Delhi University’s Daulat Ram College, she served as the President of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) in 1996-97, actively voicing student concerns.
Later, as a councillor from North Pitampura in 2007, she worked on infrastructure projects, including the development of libraries and parks. She also holds an LLB degree and is the founder of AAS, an NGO dedicated to social causes. In 2023, she contested the Delhi mayoral elections but lost to AAP’s Shelly Oberoi.
A first-time MLA, Rekha Gupta was chosen over senior BJP leaders, reportedly due to the party’s focus on women’s leadership. She is known for maintaining a low profile compared to other Delhi BJP leaders. Her appointment as Delhi’s Chief Minister came after days of speculation regarding the party’s choice for the position. The BJP secured a historic mandate in the Delhi Assembly elections, winning 48 seats and unseating the Aam Aadmi Party from power.
With the BJP emphasizing women empowerment, Rekha Gupta’s elevation is seen as a significant move in boosting the party’s appeal among women voters. She is currently the only woman Chief Minister from the BJP.
Following her election as the BJP legislature party leader, Rekha Gupta expressed her gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the party leadership, and the people of Delhi for entrusting her with this responsibility. She pledged to dedicate every moment to fulfilling this role.
"It is a miracle, it is a new motivation and a new chapter. If I can be the CM, this means ways are open for all the women... Anyone who has been corrupt will have to give an account of each and every rupee," she stated.
She further thanked the BJP leadership for placing their trust in her. "It is a huge responsibility. I thank PM Modi and BJP high command for having faith in me... I will fulfill my responsibility with utmost honesty... My first priority is to complete all the commitments our party has made, and the second priority is that all our 48 MLAs will work as Team Modi. I never thought I would be a CM of Delhi," she added.
Rekha Gupta was elected as the BJP legislative party leader in a meeting of newly elected MLAs on Wednesday. Her appointment marks the beginning of a new political chapter for Delhi under BJP’s leadership.
