Rekha Gupta made headlines as she took the oath as Delhi’s Chief Minister along with six cabinet ministers, including former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Kapil Mishra. A first-time MLA from Shalimar Bagh, Rekha was handed the top job after a BJP legislature party meeting. She is now the only female CM among the 18 NDA-ruled states. She took the oath with other newly-appointed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma, Ashish Sood, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Ravinder Indraj, Kapil Mishra and Pankaj Kumar Singh at the Ramlila Maidan in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries. Many people congratulated Rekha on taking up this important role for the BJP and her political journey. Among them was Alka Lamba who took to Twitter to share a picture of themselves from their college days when Alka was appointed the president of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) for NSUI and Rekha the General Secretary from ABVP.
1995 की यह यादगार तस्वीर – जब मैंने और रेखा गुप्ता ने एक साथ शपथ ग्रहण की थी-
— Alka Lamba 🇮🇳 (@LambaAlka) February 19, 2025
मैंने @nsui से दिल्ली विश्वविद्यालय छात्र संघ (DUSU) #अध्यक्ष पद पर जीत हासिल की थी और रेखा ने #ABVP से #महासचिव पद पर जीत हासिल की थी- रेखा गुप्ता को बधाई और शुभकामनाएँ.
दिल्ली को चौथी महिला… pic.twitter.com/csM1Rmwu9y
Who is Rekha Gupta?
From a blazing student leader to the fourth Delhi CM, Rekha Gupta has come a long way. She has deep-rooted ties to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and is known to be a strong advocate for the welfare of women. Rekha, born in Julana, Haryana, was a former president and general secretary of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) in 1996-97. In her college days, while pursuing her B.com degree at Daulat Ram College, Delhi University, she decided to pursue her passion for social change. She then did a law degree at Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut.
Political Journey
- Rekha began her political journey while pursuing her undergrad in 1992 with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) as it aligned with her aspirations to bring about change in society.
- She then served as the elected general secretary and president for two consecutive years for the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) in 1995-97.
- She was then elected as a municipal councillor from North Pitampura in 2007, focusing on public amenities such as libraries, parks, swimming pools etc., and women’s welfare.
- She was re-elected in 2012 and later became the Mayor of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), which strengthened her administrative experience, giving her a path to walk on.
- Working on her initiative for women’s upliftment, Gupta launched the “Sumedha Yojana” supporting economically weaker women and helping them take up higher studies for a brighter future.
- She held key positions within the BJP, including General Secretary of the BJP Mahila Morcha (Delhi) and its National Vice President.
BJP’s choice of Delhi Chief Minister has shown the party prioritises women in leadership roles, giving them a chance to shape electoral politics and policies. BJP has fielded nine women candidates at the 70-member Delhi Assembly out of which four have won. It was also one such election where women voters outdid the men with 60.92% women and 60.21% being men. BJP also showcased big promises for women in their manifesto announcing women-centric schemes for the women of Delhi. The BJP, matching the AAP’s Rs 2,100 cash dole, announced a monthly financial assistance of Rs 2,500 to women in Delhi under the Mahila Samridhi Yojana. Moreover, reaffirming its commitment to ongoing welfare schemes for women, such as free bus travel, they introduced Rs 21,000 and six nutritional kits for every pregnant woman, along with free cervical, breast, and ovarian cancer screenings in all Delhi government hospitals under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana.
This victory for the BJP in the capital came after 27 long years of wait and a high-energy battle between parties. BJP took the lead securing 48 seats in the 70-member House but had kept its chief minister candidate’s name under suspense till Wednesday. It was only at the BJP’s legislature party meeting, attended by observers Ravi Shankar Prasad and Om Prakash Dhankhar where the names were revealed.
Rekha has two children. Her daughter is completing her post-graduation in Australia, while her son is pursuing his engineering degree in Tamil Nadu.
Rekha is expected to focus on women’s empowerment and systemic reforms, shaping a brighter future for women in the national capital.
