Rekha Gupta Becomes Delhi’s Fourth Woman Chief Minister

Rekha Gupta Takes Oath at Ramlila Maidan

Pravesh Verma and Shinde Equation Balanced

New Delhi: Delhi has witnessed the swearing-in of its new Chief Minister, Rekha Gupta, at a grand ceremony held at Ramlila Maidan. With this, she has made history as the fourth woman to hold the CM position in the national capital. The event was marked by a significant show of strength by the NDA, with the presence of chief ministers and deputy chief ministers from all BJP-ruled states, along with key NDA leaders. Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah were also in attendance. While the occasion was centered around Rekha Gupta taking the oath, the BJP strategically utilized the event to address several political equations.

Let’s first understand the details of the swearing-in ceremony. Along with Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, six MLAs were sworn in as ministers. These included Pravesh Verma, Ashish Sood, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Ravinder Indraj Singh, Kapil Mishra, and Pankaj Kumar Singh. Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena first administered the oath to CM Rekha Gupta, followed by Pravesh Verma, Ashish Sood, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Kapil Mishra, Pankaj Kumar Singh, and finally, Ravinder Indraj Singh.

Who Was Present on the Stage?

Ramlila Maidan was packed with attendees for the swearing-in ceremony. Three separate stages were set up for the event. The main stage hosted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, the newly appointed Chief Minister, cabinet members, and chief ministers and deputy chief ministers from NDA-ruled states. The second stage was reserved for religious leaders and distinguished guests, while the third stage featured artists performing during the event.

The BJP strategically used the main stage to address two key political concerns. First, it successfully resolved Pravesh Verma’s dissatisfaction, and second, it managed to balance the political equation in Maharashtra.

The Pravesh Verma Equation:

Pravesh Verma was reportedly upset after Rekha Gupta was chosen as the Chief Minister. There was no activity around his residence from the evening until the next morning, indicating his displeasure with the BJP’s decision. However, when Rekha Gupta and Pravesh Verma finally came face-to-face on stage, things took a turn. Rekha Gupta approached him with respect, smiling as she greeted him with folded hands. Pravesh Verma reciprocated, letting go of any resentment. He embraced Rekha Gupta from one side, and both of them shared smiles during the moment.

The Fadnavis-Shinde Game:

The BJP used the Delhi stage to send a message to Maharashtra as well. Devendra Fadnavis, Eknath Shinde, and Ajit Pawar attended Rekha Gupta’s swearing-in ceremony. In recent days, there had been reports of Eknath Shinde’s dissatisfaction, as he had skipped several meetings with Devendra Fadnavis. Additionally, certain decisions hinted at growing tensions between the two. However, at the swearing-in event, Shinde and Fadnavis were seen laughing, smiling, and sitting next to each other, suggesting that the BJP had successfully resolved any differences.

A Historic Day for the BJP:

Rekha Gupta has become Delhi’s fourth female Chief Minister after taking the oath at Ramlila Maidan. This marks a historic day for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as the party has returned to power in Delhi after 27 years. Following Sushma Swaraj, Sheila Dikshit, and Atishi, Rekha Gupta is now the fourth woman to hold the position. She secured victory in the Shalimar Bagh Assembly constituency by defeating Aam Aadmi Party candidate Bandana Kumari with an impressive margin of over 29,000 votes.