Rekha Gupta, a former president of the Delhi University Students’ Union, is the fourth woman Chief Minister of Delhi, the BJP announced Wednesday evening, ending a nearly two-week suspense.
BJP’s Sushma Swaraj, Congress’ Sheila Dikshit, and Aam Aadmi Party’s Atishi have been other women chief ministers of Delhi.
The 50-year-old, who is a first-time MLA from Shalimar Bagh, defeated AAP candidate Bandna Kumari by over 29,000 votes in the February 5 Assembly polls. Notably, Ms Gupta contested the Shalimar Bagh seat in both the 2015 and 2020 Delhi elections but was defeated by AAP’s Bandana Kumari in both years.
Ms Gupta will take oath at a grand swearing-in ceremony at the city’s iconic Ramlila Maidan at noon tomorrow.
“I express my heartfelt gratitude to all the top leadership for trusting me and entrusting me with the responsibility of the post of Chief Minister. This trust and support of yours has given me new energy and inspiration. I pledge that I will work with full honesty, integrity and dedication for the welfare, empowerment and overall development of every citizen of Delhi. I am fully committed to this important opportunity to take Delhi to new heights,” Ms Gupta posted in Hindi on X, shortly after the BJP made the big announcement.
मुझ पर विश्वास कर मुख्यमंत्री पद का दायित्व सौंपने के लिए मैं सभी शीर्ष नेतृत्व का हृदय से आभार व्यक्त करती हूं। आपके इस विश्वास और समर्थन ने मुझे नई ऊर्जा और प्रेरणा दी है। मैं संकल्प लेती हूं कि दिल्ली के हर नागरिक के कल्याण, सशक्तिकरण और समग्र विकास के लिए पूरी ईमानदारी,… pic.twitter.com/eYM6X6ptzn
— Rekha Gupta (@gupta_rekha) February 19, 2025
Born on July 19, 1974, in Nandgarh village of Jind district in Haryana, Rakha Gupta’s father served as a bank officer. In 1976, the family moved to neighbouring Delhi when she was just two years old.
As a student at Delhi University, Ms Gupta joined the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Her active involvement in student politics led to her election as the President of Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) for the 1996-1997 term. She also served as the Secretary of Dyal Singh College and was deeply engaged in student activism, which propelled her further into public life.
Rekha Gupta’s political career with the BJP began in the early 2000s. She joined the party’s youth wing, the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), and held the role of secretary in the Delhi unit. Ms Gupta’s leadership skills were quickly recognised, and she was appointed the National Secretary of BJYM from 2004 to 2006. Her strong organisational abilities and dedication to the party’s mission helped her gain prominence within the BJP ranks.
In 2007, Ms Gupta was elected as a councillor in the MCD elections, representing the North Pitampura constituency. She went on to serve as the President of the Women’s Welfare and Child Development Committee in MCD from 2007 to 2009.
She also held several other key positions, including General Secretary of the Delhi BJP Women’s Wing, and National Executive Member of the party.
The BJP returned to power in Delhi after 27 years, winning a two-thirds majority (48 seats), with the ruling AAP suffering major blows and a drastic reduction in its numbers in the 70-member assembly (22 seats). The Congress continued its dismal run as it failed to open its account for the third time in a row.
(With inputs from agencies)