Rekha Gupta, the BJP’s choice for Chief Minister of Delhi and a first-time MLA from Shalimar Bagh, officially sworn in as the fourth woman chief minister of Delhi on Thursday. The grand ceremony was held at the iconic Ramlila Maidan, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other bigwigs of the party. Alongside her, six cabinet ministers also sworn in at a mega event including Pravesh Verma, Manjinder Sirsa, Ashish Sood, Pankaj Kumar Singh, Ravinder Singh Indraj, and Kapil Mishra. Delhi LG V K Saxena administered the oath of office to Rekha Gupta and her council of ministers.
Gupta joins the ranks of Sushma Swaraj, Sheila Dikshit, and Atishi as the fourth woman to lead Delhi. Notably, she is also the only woman among the 13 BJP chief ministers across India and the second woman chief minister currently in office nationwide, after West Bengal’s Mamata Banerjee. Gupta’s foray into politics began with student leadership, where she made her mark as President of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) in 1996–97. Over the years, she has emerged as a strong advocate for public service and women’s empowerment, earning recognition for her leadership and commitment to development.
As she takes charge, Gupta has outlined an ambitious agenda focused on key civic and infrastructural challenges. Her top priorities include the cleaning of the Yamuna river, the rollout of the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme in Delhi, ensuring beneficiaries receive up to ₹10 lakh in free medical treatment (₹5 lakh from the central government and an additional ₹5 lakh covered by the state), de-silting of roads and sewers in preparation for the monsoon season, a large-scale effort to remove garbage from Delhi’s streets and corners, as well as road repairs.
The BJP’s return to power in Delhi after 26 years marks a significant political shift. The party secured 48 of 70 assembly seats in the February 5 elections, ending the decade-long rule of Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The BJP last had power in Delhi way back in 1993-98.
Rekha Gupta’s political journey and leadership roles reflect her significant contributions to public service and women’s empowerment.
