Rekha Gupta to Take Oath as Delhi Chief Minister Today

According to a report by The Times of India, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has chosen Rekha Gupta, elected from the Shalimar Bagh constituency, as the new Chief Minister of Delhi. The oath-taking ceremony will take place at the historic Ramlila Maidan at 12:00 PM on Thursday, February 20, 2025, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi present, along with other members of the new cabinet.

Rekha Gupta, a relatively new figure in Delhi’s political landscape, has made her debut in electoral politics with this win. She becomes the fourth female Chief Minister of Delhi, following Sushma Swaraj, Sheila Dikshit, and Atishi.

The Times of India report also highlights that after 27 years, the BJP has regained power in Delhi, with Sushma Swaraj being the last BJP Chief Minister in the state. While the name of her daughter, Bansuri Swaraj, was being considered for the position, the party decided to hand over the reins to Rekha Gupta, a fresh face. This move reflects the BJP’s strategy of appointing new leaders to take charge in key states like Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, and now Delhi.

However, there was strong competition for the post, especially from Parvesh Singh Verma, whose father, Sahib Singh Verma, had served as Delhi’s Chief Minister. Parvesh had contested against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal but lost in the recent elections.

The Delhi Legislative Assembly election results were declared on February 8, 2025. After a thorough deliberation process among party leadership, the decision was made late on Wednesday evening. Invitations for the oath-taking ceremony were sent out before the official announcement, though the name of the new Chief Minister was kept confidential in the initial communication. Former AAP Chief Ministers Arvind Kejriwal and Atishi, along with Congress Delhi Pradesh President Devendra Yadav, have been invited to the event.