Who Is Rekha Gupta? Baniya Leader With RSS Roots Becomes Delhi CM As BJP Ends 27-Year Power Drought

Last Updated:February 19, 2025, 21:15 IST

Rekha Gupta is also Delhi’s fourth female Chief Minister. Atishi, Sheila Dikshit, Sushma Swaraj too were Delhi CMs.

BJP leader Rekha Gupta arrives for its legislature party meeting, at the party office in New Delhi. Moments later she came to know that she is Delhi’s new CM. (IMAGE: PTI)

Rekha Gupta, a grassroots Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader who rose through the ranks, will take oath as Delhi’s new Chief Minister on Thursday, ending the party’s 27-year-long power drought in the national capital.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his entire cabinet, most NDA-ruled CMs and Deputy CMs will attend the oath-taking ceremony at Ramlila Maidan.

Baniya Factor

A lawyer by profession, Gupta hails from the Baniya community, like former CM Arvind Kejriwal, who held the position of Delhi CM for nearly ten years before vacating the seat. But Gupta’s Baniya background is not the decisive factor in choosing her for the top job, say BJP insiders. After all, Delhi traders — which the Baniya community mostly associate themselves with — are strong supporters of BJP and PM Modi. In fact, they have trader cells which voluntarily organise meetings for the BJP during elections. Neither would it affect the upcoming Bihar election where the community has just 2.31% population. It was the ‘woman card’ that helped her get the top job, say BJP sources.

After Three Cheers, ‘Five Targets In 100 Days’ On BJP Delhi CM Pick Rekha Gupta’s To-Do List

RSS Roots & DUSU Politics

A seasoned BJP leader, Gupta has had a long political career that is deeply rooted in student politics. She is currently serving as Delhi BJP’s General Secretary and has previously served as the Vice President of BJP’s Mahila Morcha as well. In this assembly election, the 50-year-old won the Shalimar Bagh (North-West) seat with a massive 68,200 votes.

Many BJP leaders like Arun Jaitley or Sushma Swaraj — Gupta too had her journey in politics start in student life as the President of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) from 1996 to 1997. Municipal politics, winning the Delhi Councillor elections in 2007 were just stepping stones to becoming the Mayor of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation that for the first time gave an invisible stamp of her administrative competence on her political career.

Gupta, an old RSS figure was overwhelmed after the BJP legislative party meeting, where she could barely hide her happiness. “…I thank BJP, and I am grateful for the blessings of all of you", she said with BJP’s state President Virendra Sachdeva by her side. Celebration broke out immediately with laddoos being distributed to cadres and strangers alike.

While the lawyer-politician takes oath on Thursday at Ramlila Ground, it will be a historic moment for the BJP given that BJP’s last chief minister in Delhi was in 1998 — Sushma Swaraj — also a woman. Swaraj also became the first woman chief minister of Delhi but her stint only lasted 52 days until 3 December 1998. Through Gupta, BJP’s top leadership would also want to pay homage in their own way to Sushma Swaraj.

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