Rekha Gupta has been sworn in as the Chief Minister of Delhi, becoming the fourth woman to hold this position. Gupta, born in Nandgarh village in Haryana’s Jind district, moved to Delhi with her family at a young age. Her father worked at the State Bank of India.
She began her political journey in 1992 as a student leader at Delhi University. Gupta, who holds a law degree, quickly became known for her work in supporting women, children, and underprivileged students.
Gupta contested her first Assembly election in 2015, losing to the AAP’s Bandana Kumari by over 10,000 votes. In the 2020 election, she reduced the margin of loss to 3,440 votes. She won her first election in 2022, securing a seat from the Shalimar Bagh ward in the MCD polls. Gupta was also chosen as the BJP's candidate for the mayoral elections but lost to AAP’s Shelly Oberoi.
The 50-year-old leader was recently elected as Chief Minister after the BJP won 48 seats in the 70-member Delhi Assembly in the 2023 elections, ending the AAP’s dominance. Gupta thanked her party and expressed her commitment to work hard to address the city’s challenges.
She said her main focus as chief minister will be to address issues like air and river pollution, as well as improve Delhi’s infrastructure. During her campaign, Gupta promised to revamp government schools, provide free health services, offer free electricity, and give a monthly stipend to women in Delhi.
While women hold around 14% of parliamentary seats in India, Gupta’s election is also being seen as an important step toward greater female representation in leadership roles.
