Delhi Assembly Elections 2025: BJP picks Rekha Gupta as new Chief Minister

The 50-year-old was chosen as the leader of the party’s Legislature Party at a meeting in Delhi in the presence of Central Observers Ravi Shankar Prasad and OP Dhankhar.

New Delhi: BJP’s Shalimar Bagh MLA Rekha Gupta will be the new Chief Minister of Delhi, the fourth woman to take the mantle in the national capital in 32 years of its Assembly’s history.

Late evening, Gupta called on Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, who invited her to form the government after she staked claim. Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva and other senior leaders, were also present.

She will take oath at a ceremony in the iconic Ramlila Maidan around noon, capping BJP’s 27-year-old wait for regaining power after a five year stint in the 1990s.

The 50-year-old was chosen as the leader of the party’s Legislature Party at a meeting in Delhi BJP office in the presence of Central Observers Ravi Shankar Prasad and OP Dhankhar in the evening.

Gupta, who won from Shalimar Bagh defeating AAP candidate Bandna Kumari by 29,595 votes in the February 5 Assembly elections, and 47 other BJP MLAs attended the meeting. She will be the fourth woman Chief Minister in Delhi after BJP’s Sushma Swaraj, Congress’ Sheila Dikshit and AAP’s Atishi.

Gupta thanks Modi

Gupta thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the top leadership for choosing her and said she would work with “full honesty, integrity and dedication” and is “committed to take Delhi to new heights. I thank our central leadership, PM Modi and all our MLAs for this responsibility.”

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal congratulated Gupta and said, “I hope that she will fulfill all the promises made to the people of Delhi. We will support her in her work for the development and welfare of the people of Delhi.” Former Chief Minister Atishi also congratulated Gupta while expressing hope that she will ensure that the BJP's promises are fulfilled and said, “it is a matter of happiness that Delhi will be led by a woman.”

After the election results were out on February 8, several names, including those of Parvesh Verma, Vijender Gupta, Pawan Sharma, Satish Upadhyay, Shikha Roy and Ashish Sood among others were also speculated.

With Gupta’s choice, the BJP leadership has given representation to woman as well as one from the traders’ community a role at the top when an OBC (Nayab Singh Sani – Haryana), Thakur (Yogi Adityanath – UP) and Brahmin (Bhajanlal Sharma – Rajasthan) are Chief Ministers in neighbouring BJP-ruled states.

At the swearing-in ceremony, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President JP Nadda, union ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh and other senior leaders are expected to attend. BJP has also extended invitations to auto-drivers, slum dwellers and beneficiaries of central schemes among others.

The challenge for Gupta will be to raise funds for the poll promises of the BJP as well as maintaining the fiscal health of the capital’s government.

Tackling air pollution, cleaning Yamuna, infrastructure development and developing the transport sector would be top on her agenda.

Delhi assembly elections 2025 results | Get all latest updates here

Delhi assembly elections 2025 results | Get constituency-wise details here

Delhi Assembly Election 2025 | The Delhi Assembly Elections saw a fierce contest between AAP and BJP, while Congress despite its best attempts failed to make a mark. The saffron party is all set to make a comeback in the national capital after almost three decades as AAP chief Kejriwal has accepted the people's verdict and looks to be part of a constructive opposition. Reactions from all quarters are pouring in as BJP celebrates its first electoral win in 2025, with Bihar polls slated to take place later this year. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.

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