Rekha Gupta sworn in as Delhi’s fourth woman Chief Minister

Bharatiya Janata Party BJP leader Rekha Gupta was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Delhi in a grand ceremony held at Ramlila Maidan on SaturdayAccording to ANI Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena administered the oath of office to Gupta and her newly appointed council of ministers Six other ministers namely Parvesh Sahib Singh Ashish Sood Manjinder Singh Sirsa Ravinder Indraj Singh Kapil Mishra and Pankaj Kumar Singh also took the oath during the ceremonyThe event witnessed the presence of BJPrsquos top leadership including Prime Minister Narendra Modi Union Home Minister Amit Shah BJP National President JP Nadda and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Several senior leaders union ministers and chief ministers of neighbouring states were also in attendance reinforcing the significance of the occasionAs per ANI prominent figures such as Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Prem Chand Bairwa Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu were present at the eventHaving risen through the ranks of the BJP and served Delhi in various organisational capacities Rekha Gupta is wellacquainted with the challenges and issues faced by the national capital With the BJPrsquos election manifesto outlining numerous developmental promises she is expected to adopt a proactive and handson approach to governanceANI reports that Gupta is the fourth woman to hold the office of Chief Minister in Delhi following predecessors from the BJP Congress and Aam Aadmi PartyAn elected MLA from Shalimar Bagh Gupta has previously served as general secretary of the BJP Mahila Morcha in Delhi and was a member of the partyrsquos national executive committee In these roles she spearheaded multiple initiatives focusing on the welfare of marginalised communities and womenRekha Guptarsquos political journey began with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad ABVP a student organisation affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh RSS Having pursued her education at Delhi Universityrsquos Daulat Ram College she was elected as the President of the Delhi University Studentsrsquo Union DUSU in 199697 where she actively advocated for student issues Her political career continued as she became a councillor from North Pitampura in 2007 during which she worked towards developing libraries parks and other civic amenities She has also pursued an LLB and is the founder of AAS a nongovernmental organisation In 2023 she contested the mayoral election but lost to AAPrsquos Shelly OberoiA firsttime MLA Gupta 50 was chosen for the role over several senior leaders in Delhi BJP seemingly in line with the partyrsquos emphasis on womenrsquos leadership and empowerment As per ANI her selection followed days of intense deliberation and speculation within party circles The BJPrsquos landslide victory in the Delhi Assembly elections on February 8 paved the way for this transition as the party secured 48 seats ending AAPrsquos tenure in powerANI reports that Guptarsquos appointment underscores the BJPrsquos commitment to promoting womenrsquos leadership as she is currently the only woman serving as a Chief Minister in the partyrsquos leadership across statesFollowing her election as leader of the BJP legislative party Rekha Gupta expressed her gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi the party leadership and the people of Delhi for entrusting her with the responsibilitySpeaking to the media Gupta described her appointment as a ldquomiraclerdquo and a significant step for women in politics She assured the public that corrupt individuals would be held accountable stating ldquoAnyone who has been corrupt will have to give an account of each and every rupeerdquoShe further expressed her appreciation for the BJP leadershiprsquos faith in her and emphasised her commitment to fulfilling the partyrsquos promises ldquoIt is a huge responsibility I thank PM Modi and the BJP high command for their trust in me I will fulfil my duties with utmost honesty My top priority is to ensure that all our commitments are met and I will work alongside our 48 MLAs as a team I never imagined that I would become the Chief Minister of Delhirdquo she remarkedWith inputs from ANI