In a significant political development, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has chosen Rekha Gupta, the MLA from Shalimar Bagh, as the new Chief Minister of Delhi. The announcement was made on Wednesday evening during a meeting of the newly elected MLAs, where Rekha Gupta was formally declared the leader of the legislative party. The swearing-in ceremony for the new Chief Minister and her cabinet is scheduled to take place at 12 PM on Thursday at the Ramlila Maidan.
Rekha Gupta, a representative of the business community and a former leader of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has a notable political background. She previously served as the General Secretary of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU). However, this is the first time she has been elected as an MLA. Her selection as Chief Minister marks a historic moment, as she becomes the fourth woman to hold this position in Delhi, following in the footsteps of Sushma Swaraj, Sheila Dikshit, and Atishi Marlena.
Rekha Gupta Chosen as Delhi’s New Chief Minister by BJP; Cabinet to be Sworn in on Thursday
The decision to appoint Rekha Gupta as Chief Minister was finalized during a meeting of the BJP’s Parliamentary Board, the party’s highest decision-making body, on Wednesday morning. Although the details of the meeting were not disclosed, central observers Ravi Shankar Prasad and Om Prakash Dhankhar were present. Later in the evening, the two observers formally announced Rekha Gupta’s name as the leader of the legislative party in front of the newly elected MLAs.
This development comes after the BJP’s impressive victory in the Delhi Assembly elections, where the party won 48 out of 70 seats. This marks the BJP’s return to power in Delhi after 27 years. On the other hand, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which had been in power for the last 10 years, suffered a significant setback, winning only 22 seats. AAP’s leader and former Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, lost his own seat in the New Delhi constituency to BJP candidate Pravesh Verma.
Rekha Gupta’s appointment as Chief Minister is seen as a strategic move by the BJP, reflecting the party’s focus on empowering women leaders and strengthening its presence in the capital. Her swearing-in ceremony on Thursday is expected to be attended by top BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.