Who is Rekha Gupta, first-time legislator picked by BJP to lead Delhi?


Who is Rekha Gupta, first-time legislator picked by BJP to lead Delhi?

Published 20 Feb 2025 Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has named Rekha Gupta, a former student leader, as Delhi’s chief minister after winning the legislative assembly election earlier this month. The prime minister’s party returned to power in Delhi after 27 years, taking 48 of the state’s 70 legislative seats to oust the Aam Aadmi Party of Arvind Kejriwal. Ms Gupta is set to be sworn in as chief minister on 20 February. “It is a miracle, it is a new motivation and a new chapter. If I can be the CM, this means ways are open for all the women,” Ms Gupta told the news agency ANI on Thursday. Ms Gupta secured a decisive victory in this month’s assembly election, her first, winning the Shalimar Bagh constituency by 29,595 votes over AAP’s Bandana Kumari. She thanked her party and pledged to work diligently to address Delhi’s many challenges such as air and river pollution and an urban infrastructure in urgent need of improvement. In its campaign manifesto, the BJP promised to upgrade Delhi’s public schools, provide free healthcare and electricity and give a monthly stipend of Rs 2,500 ($29) to underprivileged women in the capital. “There is only one priority: the commitments we have made to Delhi, the dream PM Modi has for Delhi, fulfilling it is my first and foremost priority,” Ms Gupta said. “We have staked claim to form government. Every single promise made to people of Delhi will be fulfilled in a time-bound manner.” She also promised to combat corruption in government. “Anyone who has been corrupt will have to give an account of each and every rupee,” she said.