Mugdha Das

Rekha Gupta named New Delhi Chief Minister, to take oath today

Digital desk: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will form a government in Delhi for the first time in over three decades. Rekha Gupta has been named as Delhi's new chief minister. The new chief minister's swearing-in ceremony is slated for Thursday, February 20, at Ramlila Maidan.  

Following a BJP legislative party meeting on Wednesday evening, Shalimar Bagh MLA-elect Rekha Gupta was picked as Delhi's next chief minister. Central observers Ravi Shankar Prasad and Om Prakash Dhankar oversaw the selection process, which involved 48 freshly elected BJP legislators. 

Rekha Gupta won the Shalimar Bagh constituency in the Assembly elections on February 5, defeating AAP candidate Bandana Kumari by more than 29,000 votes. Notably, she had lost to Kumari in the 2015 and 2020 elections.

Meanwhile, BJP MP-elect Parvesh Verma, who defeated AAP president Arvind Kejriwal in the New Delhi constituency, has been named as deputy chief minister. In addition, the party has appointed Vijender Gupta as Speaker of the Assembly.

The oath-taking ceremony for Delhi's new chief minister is set for Thursday, February 20, 2025, at 10 a.m. at Ramlila Maidan.

Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena will administer the oath of office to the CM-designate and the Council of Ministers at 12:35 p.m.
 
Key political figures will attend the event, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP National President JP Nadda, and Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena. Several Union ministers and Chief Ministers from BJP-controlled states have also been invited, however, some may be unable to attend due to ongoing budget sessions in their respective states.