Rekha Gupta takes charge with grand oath
New Delhi: Rekha Gupta was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Delhi on Thursday, marking the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) return to power in the national capital after more than 26 years. Gupta, a debutant legislator from Shalimar Bagh, took the oath of office along with six ministers in a grand show of strength full of colour and spectacle at Ramlila Ground, attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, senior BJP leaders, and allied National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders.
Gupta’s appointment makes her the fourth woman to hold the position of Delhi’s chief minister, following Sushma Swaraj, Sheila Dikshit, and Atishi. She is also the only woman heading an NDA-led state government, aside from West Bengal’s Mamata Banerjee.
The new Cabinet has been strategically formed to represent various communities and social groups. Manjinder Singh Sirsa represents the Sikh community, Parvesh Verma is a Jat leader, Kapil Mishra serves as the Brahmin face of the party, Ashish Sood is from the Punjabi Khatri community, Ravinder Indraj Singh is a prominent Dalit leader, and Pankaj Kumar Singh represents the Purvanchali community. Veteran BJP leader Vijender Gupta will serve as the Assembly Speaker, with Mohan Bisht as his deputy.
Prime Minister Modi congratulated Gupta and expressed confidence in her leadership. “She has risen from the grassroots, having experience in campus politics, municipal governance, and now state administration,” he said.
The ceremony, attended by around 50,000 people, was a vibrant affair featuring cultural performances, patriotic songs, and enthusiastic supporters waving BJP flags. The crowd chanted slogans like “Jai Shri Ram” and “Modi, Modi,” while some supporters sang devotional songs dedicated to Lord Ram. Among the key political attendees were chief ministers of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Haryana, and Meghalaya, alongside Union ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, JP Nadda, and Hardeep Puri.
Gupta and her ministers later visited Vasudev Ghat, where they performed a ‘Yamuna Aarti’ to mark their first official act in government. BJP leaders had made the cleaning of the Yamuna a major election issue, accusing the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of failing to improve its condition. “The people of Delhi have given us a mandate, and we will ensure accountability for the past decade of governance,” Gupta asserted.
“We will fulfill all promises in our manifesto. This government is not here to make excuses,” said Manjinder Singh Sirsa, emphasising the new administration’s commitment to governance. He added that cleaning and transforming the Yamuna River into a tourist destination would be one of the government’s major priorities. Hours after the swearing-in, Gupta allocated key portfolios to her ministers. She retained finance, services, vigilance, revenue, and women and child development.
Gupta has been assigned a total of 10 portfolios, the highest among all ministers. Her responsibilities also include the general administration department, land and building, information and public relations, and administrative reforms.
Parvesh Verma was given PWD, water, legislative affairs, irrigation and flood control, and gurdwara elections portfolios. Ashish Sood took charge of home, power, urban development, education, higher education, training and technical education, while Kapil Mishra was entrusted with law, justice, labour, employment, and tourism. Manjinder Singh Sirsa was allocated industries, forests and environment, and food and supply. Pankaj Kumar Singh took charge of health, transport, and information technology, whereas Ravinder Indraj Singh was given social welfare, SC & ST welfare, cooperatives, and elections.
Ahead of her swearing-in, she reiterated her promise of providing Rs 2,500 monthly assistance to eligible women, an electoral pledge aimed at countering AAP’s offer of Rs 2,100 per month. “By International Women’s Day on March 8, the first installment will be credited,” she confirmed.
The BJP’s victory in Delhi marks a significant shift in the city’s political landscape after a decade of AAP rule under Arvind Kejriwal and Atishi. The transition is expected to be politically charged, with the BJP and AAP likely to clash over governance priorities. One of the biggest challenges before Gupta’s government will be addressing the financial implications of continuing the welfare schemes launched by AAP, including free electricity, water subsidies, and free bus travel for women. While the BJP has assured citizens that these benefits will not be discontinued, opposition leaders have questioned the party’s commitment. The Chief Minister, a law graduate from Delhi University with strong Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) roots, has been active in politics since her student days. She began her journey with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in 1992 and has since built a political career spanning over three decades.
