On 20 February 2025, Rekha Gupta, Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) leader, took oath as the 9th Chief Minister (CM) of Union Territory (UT) of Delhi at Ramlila Maidan, New Delhi, Delhi. She succeeded Atishi Marlena Singh.
- She has also become Delhi’s fourth woman CM, following Sushma Swaraj, Sheila Dikshit, and Atishi Marlena Singh
- Along with her, six cabinet ministers were sworn in, including Parvesh Singh Verma, who took oath as the Deputy CM.
- Lieutenant Governor (L-G) of Delhi Vinai Kumar Saxena administered oath of office and secrecy to the CM and the ministers at the function.
Note: This marks the end of the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s 10-year rule.
Key Attendees: The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Prime Minister (PM) of India Narendra Modi; Union Minister Amit Shah, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA); BJP President Jagat Prakash (JP) Nadda, and several BJP-led state CMs, including those from Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Andhra Pradesh (AP).
Background:
i.In 2025 Delhi assembly elections, the BJP won 48 seats out of the 70 total seats while AAP won 22 seats.
ii.She met LG VK Saxena to stake claim to form the government after BJP legislators picked her as the CM.
About Rekha Gupta:
i.Born on July 19, 1974, in Nandgarh village, Jind district of Haryana, Rekha Gupta had started her political career as a student by joining Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
ii She served as the President of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) for the 1996-1997 term.
iii.In 2000, she joined the BJP and served as the National Secretary of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) from 2004 to 2006.
iii.She served as the President of the Women’s Welfare and Child Development Committee in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) from 2007 to 2009.
- She was elected a councillor from North Pitampura in 2007 and re-elected in 2012. She also served as the mayor of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC).
iv.In 2025 assembly elections, she won the Shalimar Bagh Assembly (one of the seventy Delhi assembly constituencies) seat as a first-time Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA).
About Delhi:
Chief Minister (CM)- Rekha Gupta
Lieutenant (Lt.) Governor- Vinai Kumar Saxena
Capital- New Delhi
