New Delhi: Rekha Gupta, a first-time legislator from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was sworn in as Delhi’s Chief Minister on Thursday.
The grand ceremony, which took place at the historic Ramlila Ground, symbolises the BJP’s resurgence in the city after over 26 years in the political wilderness.
The event was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, senior BJP leaders, and key chief ministers from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Gupta, a 50-year-old MLA from Shalimar Bagh, has now become Delhi’s fourth woman chief minister, following in the footsteps of BJP’s Sushma Swaraj, Congress’ Sheila Dikshit, and Aam Aadmi Party’s Atishi.
Notably, she is the sole woman among the NDA chief ministers.
Gupta’s political journey took a significant leap after her victory in the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections, where she defeated AAP’s Bandana Kumari by a margin of over 29,000 votes.
While she contested the Shalimar Bagh seat unsuccessfully in both the 2015 and 2020 elections, her victory this time marks a decisive shift in the political landscape of Delhi.
In her affidavit filed with the Election Commission (EC) ahead of the 2025 elections, Gupta declared her total income for the financial year 2023-24 as Rs 6,92,050.
Her moveable assets were listed at Rs 1.25 crore, while her immovable assets amounted to Rs 2.3 crore.
The 50-year-old also reported loans worth Rs 48.44 lakh. She owns two residential properties, one of which is co-owned with her husband, Manish Gupta.
Gupta does not own a vehicle but possesses jewellery worth Rs 18 lakh.
Her husband, Manish Gupta, earned Rs 97,33,570 in the same financial year. His moveable assets total Rs 1.14 crore, with immovable assets valued at Rs 30 lakh.
Born on July 19, 1974, in Nandgarh village, Haryana, Gupta’s early life was shaped by her father, a bank officer. Her family relocated to Delhi in 1976.
Gupta became active in student politics at Delhi University, where she joined the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
She rose to prominence as the President of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) for the 1996-97 term and later served as Secretary of Dyal Singh College.
Her affiliation with the BJP began in the early 2000s, initially through the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM).
She served as the secretary of the Delhi unit and went on to become the National Secretary of BJYM from 2004 to 2006.
