Rekha Gupta sworn in as Delhi CM, BJP returns to power after 27 years
Rekha Gupta took the oath as the Chief Minister of Delhi in a grand ceremony at Ramlila Maidan on Thursday, marking BJP’s return to power in the capital after 27 years. The event saw the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and several BJP Chief Ministers.
With her swearing-in, Rekha Gupta became Delhi’s fourth woman Chief Minister after Sheila Dikshit, Sushma Swaraj, and Atishi. She is also the fourth BJP leader to hold the position, following Madan Lal Khurana, Sahib Singh Verma, and Sushma Swaraj.
Alongside Gupta, six other BJP leaders—Parvesh Singh Verma, Ravinder Indraj Singh, Ashish Sood, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Kapil Mishra, and Pankaj Kumar Singh—were sworn in as ministers. Verma notably defeated former CM and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal by over 3,000 votes.
Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena invited Gupta to form the new government after she staked her claim on Wednesday evening. Gupta won the Shalimar Bagh seat, defeating AAP’s Bandana Kumari by over 29,000 votes.
Reports suggest that Gupta’s Cabinet will hold its first meeting at Delhi Secretariat at 3 PM, with a focus on implementing the Mahila Samriddhi Yojna, providing women with ₹2,500 per month, and approving the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme for Delhi residents.
