The North News
New Delhi, February 20
For the first time in Delhi’s electoral history, women voters outnumbered men in the Assembly elections held on February 5. Of the 7.23 million registered female voters, 60.92 percent turned out to cast their ballots, surpassing the 60.21 percent turnout of male voters. This surge in women’s participation helped set the stage for the rise of Rekha Gupta, a first-time MLA, to the post of Chief Minister.
Gupta was sworn in as Chief Minister of Delhi in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and other senior leaders at the Ramlila Maidan today.
A dedicated BJP worker with a strong Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) background, Gupta’s elevation was endorsed by senior leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Throughout her campaign, she championed the slogan Kaam hi Pehchaan, positioning herself as a leader focused on governance and grassroots issues. Her appointment makes her the fourth woman to hold the Chief Minister’s office in Delhi, following in the footsteps of Sushma Swaraj, Sheila Dikshit, and Atishi.
Gupta, 50, was born on July 19, 1974, in Nandgarh village, Haryana, and moved to Delhi with her family as a toddler. Her father worked for the State Bank of India. She is married to businessman Manish Gupta, and they have two children—one pursuing postgraduate studies in Australia and the other completing an engineering degree in Tamil Nadu.
Her political career began during her time at Daulat Ram College, Delhi University, where she joined the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in 1992. By 1996, she had risen to become the President of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU). Guided by RSS pracharak Prem Ji Goyal, she developed her leadership skills within the Sangh Parivar framework.
In 2007, she was elected as a municipal councillor from North Pitampura, focusing on improving local infrastructure, including parks, libraries, and women’s welfare programs like Sumedha Yojana, which supported higher education for underprivileged female students. She later served as General Secretary of the BJP Mahila Morcha in Delhi and was part of the party’s national executive, advocating for marginalized communities.
The Road to Chief Ministership
Gupta’s rise was not without setbacks. She first contested an Assembly election in 2015 but lost to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Bandana Kumari by 10,978 votes. In 2020, she contested against Kumari again, narrowing the gap but still falling short by 3,440 votes. Undeterred, she won the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) elections in 2022 from Shalimar Bagh but lost the mayoral race against AAP’s Shelly Oberoi.
This year, however, Gupta turned the tide, defeating Kumari by a decisive margin of 29,595 votes in the Assembly elections. Her name was initially not seen as a frontrunner for the Chief Ministerial post, with speculation centering around figures like Parvesh Verma, Vijender Gupta, and Satish Upadhyay. However, in a dramatic shift, discussions about a female Chief Minister gained momentum on the morning of the leadership announcement, culminating in Gupta’s selection by evening.
Her appointment marks a strategic move by the BJP, aligning with both its ideological base and the growing political influence of women voters in Delhi.
