Delhi saw an elaborate swearing-in ceremony on Thursday with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) establishing its first government in the national capital in 27 years. Rekha Gupta, who was a first-time MLA, was sworn in as Chief Minister, accompanied by six other leaders who were sworn in as ministers. The cabinet reshuffled, now referred to as ‘Team Rekha,’ will now work towards fulfilling the election campaign assurances made by the saffron party.
Gupta, whose appointment was a surprise to most, has been a part of the BJP right from her college years. She started her political career as the DUSU President from ABVP, the student wing of the BJP. She has played important roles over the years such as councillor, an important post in the party’s Mahila Morcha, and BJP’s mayoral candidate.
Rekha Gupta Takes Oath as Delhi’s Chief Minister
The swearing-in ceremony was graced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and chief ministers and deputy chief ministers of other BJP-ruled states. BJP MLAs Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma, Ashish Sood, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Ravinder Indraj, Kapil Mishra, and Pankaj Kumar Singh were also sworn in as ministers in the new Delhi government along with Gupta.
Before taking oath, Gupta underscored the shared responsibility of all 48 BJP MLAs towards Delhi’s development. “Since Delhi is the capital of the nation, Delhi should not only be properly governed but should also become the number one city of India,” she said to IANS.
Reiterating her promise to keep poll promises, she vowed, “All commitments we have made to the people of Delhi will be met at any cost.” She also reaffirmed her party’s priority for women’s welfare, saying, “The commitment we have made to our sisters will be met. On Women’s Day, March 8, money will be directly deposited into their accounts as promised.”
