Meet Rekha Gupta, Delhi's fourth woman chief minister

Former Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) president and first-time MLA Rekha Gupta, who has had a long association with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and is set to become the fourth woman chief minister of Delhi, has worked extensively for women's welfare.

IMAGE: BJP MLA Rekha Gupta greets after being named as the new CM of Delhi by the party during the party legislative meeting, in New Delhi on Wednesday. Delhi party president Virendra Sachdeva and the party's central observers for electing the Leader of the Delhi Legislature Party, Ravi Shankar Prasad are also present. Photograph: Shrikant Singh/ANI Photo

The 50-year-old legislator from Shalimar Bagh was chosen as the Leader of the House in the Delhi assembly at the Bharatiya Janata Party legislature party meeting on Wednesday.

The party has returned to power in Delhi after over 26 years, ending the 10-year rule of the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party.

Born in Haryana's Julana, Gupta is a B.Com graduate from Delhi University's Daulat Ram College. She later earned a law degree from Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut, and also practised as an advocate.

Gupta, who has had a 32-year association with the RSS, began her political journey with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) at Delhi University's Daulat Ram College in 1992. In 1995-96, she was the secretary of the Delhi University Students' Union and was its president in 1996-97.

In 2002, she joined the BJP and has been the national secretary of the party's youth wing.

Gupta has also served as the BJP's women wing in charge in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

She is also the national vice-president of BJP Mahila Morcha.

After being elected as a councillor from North Pitampura in 2007, Gupta worked for the welfare of women and children. She launched initiatives like the Sumedha Yojana, which supported economically weaker female students in pursuing higher education.

She was elected councillor thrice -- 2007-2012, 2012-17 and of Shalimar Bagh from 2022-25. As the head of the Women Welfare and Child Development Committee of the civic body, she led empowerment campaigns for women.

As the Leader of the House in Delhi assembly she is going to be the fourth woman chief minister of Delhi after Sushma Swaraj, Sheila Dikshit and Atishi.

Also, she will be the fourth BJP chief minister in Delhi after Madan Lal Khurana, Sahib Singh Verma and Sushma Swaraj.

Following her swearing-in, she will be the only woman chief minister in any of the states being currently ruled by the BJP.

The new BJP government with Gupta as chief minister and her council of ministers will be sworn in at a grand ceremony in Ramlila Maidan in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries on Thursday afternoon.

In a post on X, she expressed gratitude towards the top leadership of the party for giving her the responsibility. She promised to work for the welfare, empowerment, and wholesome development of every resident of Delhi.

In the February 5 assembly polls in Delhi, Gupta won the Shalimar Bagh seat by more than 29,000 votes over her AAP rival Bandana Kumari. She had lost the seat to Kumari in 2015 and 2020 polls.