Rekha Gupta has been appointed as Delhi’s new Chief Minister, marking her first term as an MLA from Shalimar Bagh. Her selection by the BJP surprised many, considering higher-profile candidates like Parvesh Verma. The party sought a female Chief Minister to emphasize women’s empowerment and chose Gupta, a Vaishya, to diversify representation. Despite being lesser-known, her grassroots leadership and organizational skills earned her recognition within the party. Born in Haryana, Gupta has a background in student politics and municipal administration. Prime Minister Modi praised her commitment to city development upon her swearing-in.
New Delhi:
Rekha Gupta has been appointed as the new Chief Minister of Delhi.
A first-time MLA representing Shalimar Bagh in the city’s northwest, Ms. Gupta has come as a surprising choice for the BJP, which had considered more prominent contenders, including two-time ex-Lok Sabha MP Parvesh Verma, the son of former Chief Minister Saheb Singh Verma.
So what led to the selection of Ms. Gupta, who was nominated late last night after nearly two weeks of internal discussions within her party, complicated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s travels in France and the United States that delayed a necessary meeting of the BJP’s Parliamentary Board?
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The reason has now become clear.
Sources informed NDTV that the BJP was seeking a) a woman Chief Minister to emphasize one of its key campaign promises – women empowerment, and b) a Vaishya representative, since the party’s initial three leaders were from the Punjabi (ML Khurana), Jat (Saheb Singh), and Brahmin (Sushma Swaraj) communities.
Ms. Gupta met both of these criteria.
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The only other serious candidate was Vijender Gupta, an experienced political figure who previously served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly. However, while he is from the Vaishya community, sources reported that he did not fulfill the BJP’s gender requirement for the post.
Mr. Gupta has been appointed as the Speaker of the Assembly, the same venue from which he was forcibly removed by marshals a decade ago.
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Sources have stated that Rekha Gupta’s ascent to the Chief Minister position highlights the BJP’s tradition of recognizing grassroots leaders for their accomplishments. Although she was previously an unknown figure, her organizational and leadership talents were acknowledged by the BJP’s higher-ups.
Born in Jind, Haryana, she has previously been active in the party’s youth wing, where she held leadership roles and garnered commendations from her superiors.
Additionally, she served as President of the Delhi University’s Students Union.
This aspect of her rise was recognized by Prime Minister Modi, who stated on X, “She has emerged from the grassroots… being engaged in campus politics, state organization, and municipal administration, and is now both an MLA and Chief Minister.”
After her swearing-in, Mr. Modi congratulated Ms. Gupta, reiterating that she had “emerged from the grassroots” and expressing confidence that she would dedicate herself to the city’s development “with full vigor”.
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