At the swearing-in ceremony for Delhi’s new chief minister, which took place at Ramlila Maidan on Thursday afternoon, 50-year-old Rekha Gupta formally took the oath of office. The oath of office and secrecy was administered by Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena. Subsequently, Parvesh Verma (Jat), Ashish Sood (Punjabi), Manjinder Singh Sirsa (Sikh), Ravinder Singh Indraj (Dalit), Kapil Mishra (Brahmin), and Pankaj Singh (Rajput) were sworn in as ministers.
The Swearing-In Ceremony is attended by Prime Minister Modi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and other high-ranking officials, including chief ministers from several states, were present at the ceremony. Rekha Gupta is now in charge as Delhi’s new leader after Arvind Kejriwal and Atishi resigned. Along with her six-member government, she takes over as Delhi’s ninth chief minister. Notably, the chief minister is one of a maximum of seven ministers that can serve in Delhi’s state government.
The Political Journey of Rekha Gupta:
A Former MLA Becomes CM The fact that Rekha Gupta is a first-time MLA is among the most unexpected features of this appointment. In the most recent Delhi Assembly elections, she won the seat from Shalimar Bagh. She was a three-time municipal council member and the mayor of South Delhi MCD prior to this. She was unsuccessful when the BJP put her up against Shelly Oberoi of the AAP in 2022 for the MCD Mayor post. She is now in charge of running Delhi’s government.
Delhi’s Fourth Woman Chief Minister
Rekha Gupta is the second female CM of the BJP in the history of the capital and the fourth woman chief minister of Delhi. Sushma Swaraj, who was briefly Delhi’s sixth chief minister in 1998, was the first BJP woman chief minister. Sheila Dikshit, a Congress leader, succeeded her and served in the role for almost 15 years, from 1998 to 2013. Following Arvind Kejriwal’s resignation in 2023, Atishi was appointed Delhi’s third female chief minister.
Rekha Gupta Was the Front Runner for Delhi CM Position
Since the RSS had also suggested Rekha Gupta as the candidate for chief minister, there was much conjecture that she would be the BJP’s pick. Given that there is currently no female chief minister in the majority of BJP-ruled states, the BJP leadership approved the nomination. The BJP and Prime Minister Modi have continuously stressed the importance of women’s empowerment, therefore choosing a female leader is a calculated move.
In addition, 43% of Delhi’s female voters voted for the BJP in this election, an 8% increase over the previous one. The party’s choice to nominate a woman as chief minister of Delhi was impacted by the strong support from female voters.
Rekha Gupta’s Haryana Roots and Political Connections
The hometown of Rekha Gupta is Jind, Haryana. She defeated Vandana Kumari of the AAP by 29,595 votes from the Shalimar Bagh constituency in the Delhi Assembly elections. Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, who both aggressively campaigned for her in the Delhi elections, are known to have close ties with her. Her ascent to prominence was significantly influenced by her experience with the RSS.
Rekha Gupta began her political career as an ABVP activist while still in college and has been affiliated with the RSS for more than 32 years. As the Vice President of the BJP Mahila Morcha (Women’s Wing) and the General Secretary of the Delhi BJP, she has been a devoted BJP leader.
