Rekha Gupta will take the oath today as the fourth woman Chief Minister of Delhi. She is a first-time MLA and belongs to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Her swearing-in comes after the BJP won the Delhi Assembly elections, ending the 10-year rule of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The BJP has returned to power in Delhi after 26 years.

Swearing-in ceremony at Ramlila ground

The grand ceremony will be held at the historic Ramlila Ground. It is expected that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, chief ministers and deputy chief ministers from 20 states, and senior BJP leaders will attend the event.

Rekha Gupta was selected as the Leader of the House in the Delhi Assembly during a BJP legislature party meeting on Wednesday evening. After this, she met with Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena and formally claimed her right to form the government.

Delhi’s fourth woman CM

Rekha Gupta is set to become Delhi’s fourth woman Chief Minister. The three women who previously held this position were:

  • Sushma Swaraj (BJP)
  • Sheila Dikshit (Congress)
  • Atishi (AAP)

Besides her, six newly elected MLAs will also take an oath as ministers in her government. These leaders are:

  • Parvesh Verma
  • Kapil Mishra
  • Ashish Sood
  • Pankaj Singh
  • Manjinder Singh Sirsa
  • Ravinder Indraj

Rekha Gupta’s early life and education

Rekha Gupta was born in Nandgarh village in Haryana’s Jind district. Her family moved to Delhi when she was just two years old. Her father worked at the State Bank of India.

Gupta began her political journey as a student at Daulat Ram College, Delhi. She joined the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), which is the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). She served as the general secretary of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) from 1995 to 1996. Later, she became the president of DUSU from 1996 to 1997.

She completed a degree in commerce and went on to earn a master’s degree in management and arts from the University of Delhi.

Political career and challenges

In 2002, Rekha Gupta officially joined the BJP. She took on many important roles within the party. She started as the Secretary of BJP’s youth wing in Delhi and later became the National Secretary of the youth wing until 2005. She also served as the General Secretary of BJP’s Mahila Morcha in Delhi, which focuses on women’s issues. Over time, she became the National Vice-Chairperson of BJP Mahila Morcha and was responsible for overseeing the party's women’s wing in Uttar Pradesh. She was also a member of the BJP National Executive, where she contributed to the party’s overall decision-making.

Rekha Gupta first contested an election in 2007 and won the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) election from North Pitampura. She later became the chairperson of the Women’s Welfare and Child Development Committee. In 2012, she was re-elected from the same ward and served as vice-chairperson of MCD’s Standing Committee. She also worked as the education secretary of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) from 2012 to 2013.

However, her journey was not always smooth. She contested the Delhi Assembly elections in 2015 but lost to AAP’s Bandana Kumari by 10,978 votes. In 2020, she ran against Bandana Kumari again and lost, but this time the margin was smaller—only 3,440 votes.

In 2022, she contested the MCD elections and won from the Shalimar Bagh ward. The BJP later nominated her as their candidate for the mayoral elections, but she lost to AAP’s Shelly Oberoi.

Victory in 2024 assembly elections

Rekha Gupta was given another chance to contest in the 2024 Delhi Assembly elections against Bandana Kumari. This time, she won by 29,595 votes. With her long political experience, Rekha Gupta is now ready to lead Delhi as its new Chief Minister.

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