Rekha Gupta, the chief minister-elect of Delhi, is set to take the oath of office at Ramlila Maidan on Thursday, alongside Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Parvesh Verma, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, and Kapil Mishra, who will be sworn in as cabinet ministers.
According to a gazette notification, the new BJP government in Delhi will see the induction of six cabinet ministers. Along with Parvesh Verma, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, and Kapil Mishra, Ashish Sood, Pankaj Kumar Singh, and Ravinder Indraj Singh will also be sworn in.
The grand oath-taking ceremony at Ramlila Maidan will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other high-profile dignitaries.
Who Are the Six Delhi Cabinet Ministers?
1. Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma
A prominent Jat leader in Delhi politics, Parvesh Verma gained widespread recognition after defeating AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal in the New Delhi constituency by a margin of 4,089 votes.
Following the BJP’s victory in the Delhi Assembly elections with 48 out of 70 seats, Verma was seen as a strong contender for the chief minister’s post. He previously served as a Lok Sabha MP from West Delhi from 2014 to 2024.
2. Kapil Mishra
Kapil Mishra emerged victorious from the Karawal Nagar constituency, defeating AAP’s Manoj Kumar Tyagi by 23,355 votes. Previously, he was a minister in the AAP-led Delhi government, handling the water resources portfolio.
However, he was removed from the cabinet after accusing then colleague Satyendar Jain of corruption. In 2020, Mishra contested from the Model Town constituency as a BJP candidate but lost to AAP’s Akhilesh Pati Tripathi.
He was also criticized for his alleged provocative statements before the February 2020 riots in northeast Delhi.
3. Manjinder Singh Sirsa
Manjinder Singh Sirsa secured a victory in the Rajouri Garden constituency, defeating AAP’s Dhanwati Chandela by a margin of over 18,000 votes. Sirsa had previously represented Rajouri Garden in the 2017 Delhi by-elections but lost to Chandela in 2020. His win marks a significant comeback in the Delhi Assembly elections.
4. Ashish Sood
A prominent figure in Delhi BJP, Ashish Sood was one of the top contenders for the Delhi CM post. He won from Janakpuri by defeating AAP’s Parveen Kumar with a margin of 18,766 votes. Sood also holds a strategic position as the party’s co-incharge in Jammu and Kashmir.
5. Pankaj Kumar Singh
Pankaj Kumar Singh, the son of former MCD member Raja Mohan Singh, is a dentist by profession and has previously served as a ward councillor. He secured his first assembly victory from Vikaspuri, defeating AAP’s Mahinder Yadav by nearly 13,000 votes. Singh has held several key positions within the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).
6. Ravinder Indraj Singh
A key Dalit leader within Delhi BJP, Ravinder Indraj Singh won from the Bawana constituency, defeating AAP’s Jai Bhagwan Upkar by over 31,000 votes. Singh is actively involved in the BJP’s SC Morcha and is recognized for his efforts towards the upliftment of the Dalit community.
Grand Oath Ceremony at Ramlila Maidan
The oath-taking ceremony at Ramlila Maidan is expected to be a grand event, attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, members of the council of ministers, and other high-ranking dignitaries. The ceremony marks a historic moment as Rekha Gupta becomes the new Delhi Chief Minister, leading the BJP government in the national capital.