"The Political Legacy of Rekha Gupta: BJP’s New CM of Delhi"

Rekha Gupta, a seasoned politician, began her career in Delhi University student elections and has since become a three-time councillor and former mayor of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation. In 2022, she was BJP's mayoral candidate for the MCD elections. Gupta is also the National Vice President of the BJP Mahila Morcha and has served as Delhi BJP’s general secretary. She holds a degree from Daulat Ram College and was DUSU President in 1996-97. In 2007, she was elected as a councillor from North Pitampura.

Rekha Gupta, appointed as the Chief Minister of Delhi on Wednesday, may be a first-time MLA, but she brings extensive political experience. By selecting her for the top post over other prominent figures, such as the influential Parvesh Verma, the BJP appears to be making a strategic move on several fronts. At 50, Gupta secured a decisive victory in the Shalimar Bagh constituency in the recent Delhi Assembly elections, winning by nearly 30,000 votes. "Kaam hi Pehchaan" (my work is my identity), is a tagline the BJP leader uses on her website for her campaigns.

Gupta was among several prominent Delhi BJP leaders considered frontrunners for the Chief Minister’s position. Other potential candidates included Parvesh Verma, who defeated AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi BJP general secretary Ashish Sood, former Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta, Satish Upadhyay, and Jitendra Mahajan. Gupta, along with six ministers, is set to take the oath of office at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi on Thursday around noon.

By choosing Rekha Gupta as Delhi CM, the BJP aims to continue the legacy of women leadership, contrasting her tenure with that of Arvind Kejriwal. Delhi has had several women CMs, including Sheila Dikshit, Atishi, and Sushma Swaraj. Atishi briefly served as CM for five months after Kejriwal's resignation in 2024, while Swaraj held the position for a short time in 1998, but the BJP lost the election partly due to issues like rising onion prices.