Rekha Gupta Sworn In as Delhi CM, Parvesh Verma Among Six Ministers in Cabinet

New Delhi, 20th Feb. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Rekha Gupta was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Delhi on Thursday in a grand ceremony at Ramlila Maidan. She becomes the BJP’s fourth Chief Minister in the national capital and the second woman from the party to hold the position.

Gupta follows in the footsteps of former Delhi Chief Ministers Sushma Swaraj (BJP), Sheila Dikshit (Congress), and Atishi (AAP).

Cabinet Formation and Key Ministers

Six ministers took the oath alongside Gupta, including Parvesh Verma, who gained prominence after defeating former Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal in the New Delhi constituency. He was widely considered a frontrunner for the Chief Minister’s post.

Other ministers sworn into the cabinet include Kapil Sharma, Manjinder Sirsa, Ashish Sood, Pankaj Kumar Singh, and Ravinder Indraj Singh. Three more ministerial positions remain vacant.

The BJP has appointed former Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta as the new Speaker of the Delhi Assembly. His return comes a decade after he was forcibly removed from the Assembly amid a dispute with AAP legislators.

A Surprise Pick for Chief Minister

Gupta, a first-time MLA from Shalimar Bagh, secured victory over AAP’s Bandana Kumari, who had held the seat since 2013. Her appointment as Chief Minister was finalized late Wednesday following deliberations by the BJP’s Parliamentary Board, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The decision was delayed for nearly two weeks after the election results, as the party awaited Mr Modi’s return from his visits to France and the United States.

Gupta’s Vision for Delhi

After her nomination, Gupta pledged to work with “honesty, integrity, and dedication” for the development and welfare of Delhi’s citizens.

“I am committed to taking Delhi to new heights,” she stated, expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Modi and BJP leadership for their trust in her leadership.

The swearing-in ceremony was attended by top BJP leaders, including Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP President JP Nadda, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and senior NDA leaders, including Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.