Rekha Gupta, Delhi Chief Minister-designate, will become the only woman CM among all the NDA-ruled states after her swearing-in ceremony. Gupta and her Council of Ministers will take oath at the Ramlila Maidan on Thursday afternoon in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marking the return of the BJP in Delhi after 27 years.
A first-time MLA, Gupta won from the Shalimar Bagh constituency in the Delhi Assembly election, held earlier this month. The 50-year-old, who started her political career as a student leader, was chosen as Leader of the House in the newly constituted 8th Delhi Assembly, in a meeting of the BJP legislature party on Wednesday.Rekha Gupta is also the 18th women chief minister of India who will assume the chair and fifth woman CM of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
A former Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) president and civic body councillor, Gupta is set to become the fourth woman chief minister of Delhi after Sushma Swaraj, Sheila Dikshit, and Atishi. The BJP ended a decade-long rule of the Arvind
Kejriwal-led AAP in Delhi, winning 48 of the 70 seats in the Assembly polls held on February 5.
Gupta has worked extensively for women's welfare
The former DUSU president, who has had a long association with the RSS, has worked extensively for women's welfare. Born in Haryana's Julana, Gupta is a BCom graduate from Delhi University's Daulat Ram College.
She later earned a law degree from Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut, and also practised as an advocate. Gupta, who has had a 32-year association with the RSS, began her political journey with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) at Delhi University's Daulat Ram College in 1992.
In 1995-96, she was the secretary of the Delhi University Students' Union and was its president in 1996-97. In 2002, she joined the BJP and has been the national secretary of the party's youth wing.
Gupta has also served as the BJP's women wing in charge in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. She is also the national vice-president of BJP Mahila Morcha. After being elected as a councillor from North Pitampura in 2007, Gupta worked for the welfare of women and children.
She launched initiatives like the Sumedha Yojana, which supported economically weaker female students in pursuing higher education.
She was elected councillor thrice -- 2007-2012, 2012-17 and of Shalimar Bagh from 2022-25. As the head of the Women Welfare and Child Development Committee of the civic body, she led empowerment campaigns for women.
In a post on X, she expressed gratitude towards the top leadership of the party for giving her the responsibility. Gupta promised to work for the welfare, empowerment, and wholesome development of every resident of Delhi.
(With PTI inputs)
