What Is Rekha Gupta's Plan Of Action As New Delhi CM?

Rekha Gupta of the Bharatiya Janata Party was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Delhi on February 20, making her the fourth woman leader to lead the national capital. The first-time MLA took oath in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and other top leaders at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi. The 50-year-old politician won the Shalimar Bagh seat in the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections by more than 29,000 votes against her Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) rival Bandana Kumari. 

Gupta was chosen as the Delhi CM on February 19 during a BJP Legislative meeting, with Ravi Shankar Prasad and Om Prakash Dhankhar as observers. Speaking to the media, she expressed, "PM Modi's vision and positivity towards women have made this possible. Choosing a middle-class woman for such a significant role is a big decision, and I deeply thank the top leadership for their trust in me. They have given me this immense responsibility, and I am committed to fulfilling it with dedication." 

VIDEO | BJP MLA from Shalimar Bagh constituency Rekha Gupta (@gupta_rekha) takes oath as Delhi CM at Ramlila Maidan.#DelhiCM#DelhiNews

(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/3lYcBYlHkF

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 20, 2025

#WATCH | Delhi CM designate Rekha Gupta says, "It is a huge responsibility. I thank PM Modi and BJP high command for having faith in me... I will fulfil my responsibility with utmost honesty... My first priority is to complete all the commitments our party has made, and the… pic.twitter.com/kkGVAL7nq5

— ANI (@ANI) February 20, 2025

Ahead of taking the oath, Gupta announced her plan of action after taking office. She announced that the first tranche of the income support to women, ₹2,500 per month under the Mahila Samridhi Yojana, will be credited to their bank account by March 8. Additionally, Gupta aims to address five key issues in the national capital. Party sources told CNN-News18, that these areas of focus are Yamuna River cleaning, de-silting of roads and sewers in preparation for the monsoon season, a large-scale sanitation effort to remove garbage from the city’s streets and corners, and road repairs.

मुझ पर विश्वास कर मुख्यमंत्री पद का दायित्व सौंपने के लिए मैं सभी शीर्ष नेतृत्व का हृदय से आभार व्यक्त करती हूं। आपके इस विश्वास और समर्थन ने मुझे नई ऊर्जा और प्रेरणा दी है। मैं संकल्प लेती हूं कि दिल्ली के हर नागरिक के कल्याण, सशक्तिकरण और समग्र विकास के लिए पूरी ईमानदारी,… pic.twitter.com/eYM6X6ptzn

— Rekha Gupta (@gupta_rekha) February 19, 2025

Women MLAs Elected In 2025 Assembly Polls

Six women from the BJP have been voted as MLAs this election-- Shikha Roy, Rekha Gupta, Smriti Irani, Bansuri Swaraj, Poonam Sharma, and Neelam Pahelwan. Delhi has had three women CMs in the past-- BJP's Swaraj, Congress' Sheila Dikshit and Aam Aadmi Party's Atishi. 

Gupta has been recognised for her grassroots engagement and organisational skills within the BJP. She defeated AAP's Bandana Kumari by 29,595 votes. She is a former general secretary and president of the Delhi University Students Union, a member of the party's national executive, and the general secretary of the Delhi state unit.