Rekha Gupta, a Bharatiya Janata Party MLA, took oath as the new Chief Minister of Delhi on Thursday in a grand ceremony held at Ramlila Maidan. Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena administered the oath to Rekha Gupta and her team of ministers, marking the beginning of her tenure as Delhi's Chief Minister.

Six other ministers, Parvesh Sahib Singh, Ashish Sood, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Ravinder Indraj Singh, Kapil Mishra, and Pankaj Kumar Singh, also took the oath. Top BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Minister JP Nadda, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, attended the ceremony. The event was attended by several party leaders, including union ministers and chief ministers of neighbouring states.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, along with Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, Bihar Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha, Rajasthan Deputy CM Prem Chand Bairwa, Goa CM Pramod Sawant, Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu, and other leaders, were also present at the event.

Rekha Gupta, who has risen through the ranks and served Delhi in various organisational roles and as a councillor, profoundly understands the city's issues and challenges. With the BJP’s election manifesto outlining several promises, she is expected to take an active and hands-on approach.

Rekha Gupta is set to become the fourth woman Chief Minister of Delhi. Delhi has had a history of women CMs, with previous female Chief Ministers hailing from the BJP, Congress and Aam Aadmi Party.

Rekha Gupta, an elected MLA from the Shalimar Bagh seat, has held pivotal positions within the BJP Mahila Morcha in Delhi, including serving as its general secretary and a national executive committee member. In these roles, she led various initiatives focused on the welfare of marginalised communities and women.

Her political journey began with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), a student organisation affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

A graduate of Delhi University’s Daulat Ram College, she was elected President of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) in 1996-97, where she actively advocated for student issues. In 2007, as a councillor from North Pitampura, she worked on improving basic infrastructure in the area, including developing libraries and parks. She has also pursued LLB and is the founder of AAS NGO. In 2023, she contested the mayoral election but was defeated by AAP’s Shelly Oberoi.

Rekha Gupta, a first-time MLA, was chosen over more senior leaders in the Delhi BJP, likely because the party wanted a woman leader. Unlike other leaders in the Delhi BJP, she is known for maintaining a low profile. Her name as the next Delhi Chief Minister was announced after days of intense speculation. The results of the Delhi Assembly elections were declared on February 8.

With the BJP focusing on women's empowerment, Rekha Gupta’s appointment reinforces the party’s commitment to this cause. She will be the only woman among the current BJP Chief Ministers.

After being elected as the leader of the BJP legislature party, Rekha Gupta expressed her gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the party leadership, and the people of Delhi for entrusting her with this responsibility. She stated that every moment of her life would be dedicated to fulfilling it.

Rekha Gupta described her appointment as a “miracle” and a “new chapter,” signalling the start of a transformative era for women in politics.

While speaking to the media, she pledged to take action against corruption, emphasising that those involved must account for every misused rupee.

“It is a miracle; it is a new motivation and a new chapter. If I can be the CM, this means ways are open for all the women… Anyone who has been corrupt will have to give an account of each and every rupee,” she expressed.

She expressed her gratefulness to the high command of the Bharatiya Janata Party for reposing trust in her to govern the national capital, Delhi.

“It is a huge responsibility. I thank PM Modi and BJP high command for having faith in me… I will fulfil my responsibility with utmost honesty… My first priority is to complete all the commitments our party has made, and the second priority is that all our 48 MLAs will work as a team, Modi. I never thought I would be a CM of Delhi,” the new CM of National Capital said.

On Wednesday, Rekha Gupta was elected as the leader of the BJP legislative party during a meeting of newly elected MLAs.

The BJP secured a historic victory with 48 seats, defeating the ruling Aam Aadmi Party.