Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Rekha Gupta was sworn-in as Delhi’s chief minister in a grand ceremony at Ramlila Maidan on Thursday.
Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena administered the oath of office to Gupta and her council of ministers, which includes Parvesh Sahib Singh, Ashish Sood, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Ravinder Indraj Singh, Kapil Mishra, and Pankaj Kumar Singh.
Top BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Union Minister JP Nadda, were present at the oath-taking ceremony.
Other high-profile leaders attending the ceremony included Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, Bihar Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha, Rajasthan Deputy CM Prem Chand Bairwa, Goa CM Pramod Sawant, and Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu.
Gupta, the fourth woman to hold the post of Delhi’s chief minister, was elected from the Shalimar Bagh constituency.
With her vast experience in various organizational roles, including as a three-time councillor with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Gupta is known for her work on women’s empowerment and community welfare.
She has also served as general secretary of BJP Mahila Morcha in Delhi and as a member of the party’s national executive committee.
Her journey in politics began with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and later as President of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) in 1996-97.
Gupta, a first-time MLA, has maintained a low profile in the past, and her selection came after days of intense speculation following the Delhi assembly election results.
The BJP’s choice of Gupta is seen as a nod towards women’s leadership, with her appointment positioning her as the only woman chief minister in a BJP-ruled state.
After her election as leader of the BJP legislature party, Gupta expressed deep gratitude to PM Modi and the BJP leadership, calling her election a “miracle” and marking a “new chapter” for women in politics.
She vowed to hold those guilty of corruption accountable and emphasized her commitment to fulfilling the party’s promises.
“It’s a huge responsibility. I thank PM Modi and the BJP high command for their faith in me. My first priority is to fulfil all commitments our party has made. I’ll make sure that all our 48 MLAs will work as team Modi,” Gupta said.
(with ANI inputs)