Rekha Gupta named fourth woman CM of Delhi

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has unveiled its new leadership team for Delhi, announcing that Rekha Gupta, the MLA from Shalimar Bagh Assembly constituency, will be the state’s next Chief Minister, while Parvesh Verma has been named the Deputy Chief Minister.

Rekha Gupta has been named the fourth woman Chief Minister of Delhi, a historic appointment announced by the BJP on Wednesday evening after nearly two weeks of speculation. The Delhi CM’s post has been held by seven people (5 male leaders, 4 women) since 1952.

It is worth noting that Sushma Swaraj made history in 1998 when she became Delhi’s first woman Chief Minister.

At 50 years old and a first-time MLA from Shalimar Bagh, Gupta clinched a decisive victory by defeating AAP candidate Bandna Kumari by more than 29,000 votes in the February 5 Assembly polls. Notably, she had previously contested the Shalimar Bagh seat in the 2015 and 2020 Delhi elections, losing on both occasions to Kumari. She is scheduled to take the oath of office at a grand ceremony at the iconic Ramlila Maidan at noon tomorrow.

In a post on X, Gupta expressed her gratitude: “I express my heartfelt gratitude to all the top leadership for trusting me and entrusting me with the responsibility of the post of Chief Minister. This trust and support have given me new energy and inspiration. I pledge that I will work with full honesty, integrity and dedication for the welfare, empowerment, and overall development of every citizen of Delhi. I am fully committed to this important opportunity to take Delhi to new heights.”

Born on July 19, 1974, in Nandgarh village of Haryana’s Jind district, Gupta moved to Delhi with her family when she was just two years old. While studying at Delhi University, she became actively involved in student politics through the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and went on to serve as President of the Delhi University Students’ Union for the 1996–1997 term. Her early political engagement also saw her serve as the Secretary of Dyal Singh College, setting the stage for her future in public life.

Gupta’s association with the BJP began in the early 2000s when she joined the party’s youth wing, the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM). Rising quickly through the ranks, she served as the Delhi unit’s secretary and later as the National Secretary of BJYM from 2004 to 2006. Her leadership credentials were further bolstered when she was elected as a councillor in the 2007 MCD elections representing North Pitampura, and she subsequently led the Women’s Welfare and Child Development Committee in MCD from 2007 to 2009. Over the years, she has held other key roles, including General Secretary of the Delhi BJP Women’s Wing and a position as a National Executive Member of the party.

This appointment comes amid a significant political shift in Delhi, with the BJP returning to power after 27 years by winning 48 out of 70 seats in the assembly, a stark contrast to the 22 seats secured by the AAP. The Congress, meanwhile, continued its run of poor performance by failing to secure a single seat.