Rekha Gupta, a three-time councillor and former South Delhi mayor, was named the Chief Minister of Delhi on Wednesday. The first-time MLA from Shalimar Bagh defeated her AAP rival with a margin of nearly 30,000 votes in the recent assembly elections.
Gupta, 41, has been an active presence in Delhi’s political landscape for decades. She started her journey with the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU), serving as its president in 1996-97.
Rising through the ranks, Gupta was elected as a municipal councillor from North Pitampura in 2007 and later became the National Vice President of the BJP Mahila Morcha. Her tenure as South Delhi mayor and past roles in the BJP’s Delhi unit positioned her as a strong contender for leadership.
The BJP's decision to elevate Gupta signals a push to align its governance with a legacy of women chief ministers in Delhi. Sheila Dikshit led the city for 15 years under the Congress, while BJP’s Sushma Swaraj and AAP’s Atishi also held the post, albeit briefly. Gupta now becomes the first woman from the BJP to lead a full-term government in the state.
Women played a decisive role in the 2025 assembly elections, outpacing men in voter turnout — 60.92% compared to 60.21% for men. The BJP’s success in securing 48 out of 70 seats underscored the effectiveness of its outreach to women voters, a demographic that had previously favored AAP.
The saffron party’s manifesto targeted this segment with promises like the Mahila Samridhi Yojana, offering Rs 2,500 in monthly financial aid for women, alongside continued free bus travel. Other welfare initiatives included Rs 21,000 and six nutritional kits for every pregnant woman and free cervical, breast, and ovarian cancer screenings at Delhi government hospitals under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana.