New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which secured a complete majority in Delhi, on Wednesday named Rekha Gupta as the new Chief Minister.
Rekha Gupta is a first-time MLA and she will be the 9th Chief Minister of Delhi. Parvesh Verma will be the Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi. The 50-year-old leader won from Shalimar Bagh, defeating AAP candidate Bandana Kumari by over 29,000 votes in the February 5 Assembly polls. Gupta is the vice president of BJP Mahila Morcha.
Gupta then met Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena at the Raj Niwas and staked a claim to form the new government in the national capital. The LG accepted the claim and invited her to form the new government.
Gupta will also be the fourth woman chief minister of Delhi after late Sushma Swaraj, late Sheila Dixshit and Atishi. The decision was taken during the meeting of the BJP Legislature Party meeting in the presence of central observers Ravishankar Prasad and Om Prakash Dhankar. BJP MPs including Bansuri Swaraj and Praveen Khandelwal also attended the key meeting of the saffron party in the national capital.
Ravi Shankar Prasad said that Rekha Gupta was unanimously selected for the post of the Delhi Chief Minister. It is understood that Rekha Gupta's name was proposed by Satish Upadhay and Parvesh Verma. Speaking to reporters, Rekha Gupta said, "I thank everyone for supporting me."
She thanked the BJP top brass for showing faith in her. "I express my heartfelt gratitude to all the top leadership for trusting me and entrusting me with the responsibility of the post of chief minister. This trust and support of yours has given me new energy and inspiration," Gupta said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday congratulated Rekha Gupta on being elected as the new chief minister of Delhi, saying the BJP government under her leadership will work day and night to fulfil the expectations of the people of the national capital.
"I extend my hearty congratulations and best wishes to Mrs @gupta_rekha ji on being elected the leader of the BJP legislative party. I have full faith that you will work with dedication in the direction of the resolution taken by Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji to make Delhi one of the top capitals of the world," Shah posted on X in Hindi.
Shah said he was confident that the BJP government under Gupta's leadership will work day and night to fulfil the hopes and expectations with which the mothers and sisters of Delhi have blessed the BJP.
Celebrations started outside the residence of Rekha Gupta in Shalimar Bagh.
The BJP, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, won a staggering 48 seats in the 70-member House, as it returned to power in the national capital after 27 years. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which ruled Delhi for over a decade, managed to secure only 22 seats in the recently held Delhi Assembly polls.
There were several contenders for the post of Chief Minister including Parvesh Verma, and Vijender Gupta. Sources said that Parvesh Verma, who defeated AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal from the New Delhi seat and Vijender Gupta, met the central observers separately.
The oath-taking ceremony of the new Chief Minister will be held at the historic Ramlila Maidan here on Thursday afternoon. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, senior leaders of the BJP, several Union Ministers and leaders of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will attend the grand ceremony. Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers of the NDA-ruled states will also be in attendance.
