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After surprising political observers with Chief Minister choices in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by PM Modi, delivered yet another unexpected decision by naming Rekha Gupta as the new Chief Minister of Delhi on Wednesday night. Gupta, who secured a decisive victory in the recent Assembly elections, is set to take the oath of office tomorrow at the historic Ramlila Ground. She will be the fourth woman to hold the chief ministerial post in the capital.
Victory in Shalimar Bagh
Gupta, a BJP legislator from Shalimar Bagh, emerged victorious against Aam Aadmi Party’s Bandana Kumari and Congress’s Parveen Kumar Jain. She won the seat with a significant margin of 29,595 votes. Following the BJP’s triumph in the Assembly polls on February 8, speculation had been rife that the party would select a woman for the top post, with Gupta being one of the frontrunners.
Generational Shift in Leadership As BJP Chooses Rekha Gupta
The BJP’s recent leadership decisions reflect a strategic generational shift orchestrated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. In Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan, the party has replaced veteran leaders with fresh faces. Stalwarts like Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Madhya Pradesh, Raman Singh in Chhattisgarh, and Vasundhara Raje in Rajasthan have stepped aside without public opposition.
The transition was particularly smooth in Rajasthan, where Bhajan Lal Sharma was named Chief Minister. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, one of the central observers for Rajasthan, emphasized that Vasundhara Raje played a key role in Sharma’s appointment. She not only attended the legislature party meeting but also formally proposed Sharma’s name for the top post.
Who Is Rekha Gupta?
Gupta, a former president and general secretary of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU), has held key roles within the BJP, including general secretary of the party’s Mahila Morcha in Delhi and a member of its national executive committee.
Her political journey began in 1992 with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) at Daulat Ram College, Delhi University. In 1996-97, she was elected DUSU president, actively advocating for student-related issues.
In 2007, she entered municipal politics as a councillor from North Pitampura, focusing on improving public amenities like libraries, parks, and swimming pools. Re-elected in 2012, she later served as mayor of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), further strengthening her administrative experience.
Also Read: Will Delhi’s New BJP CM Rekh Gupta Reside in Kejriwal’s ‘Sheesh Mahal’?
