LIVE: Delhi Cabinet portfolios: Rekha Gupta gets Finance; Ashish Sood gets Home
Pravesh Verma gets Public Works Department (PWD) and Irrigation and Flood Control Department
BJP's debutant legislator Rekha Gupta was sworn in as Delhi chief minister on Thursday (February 20) in a grand show of strength that marks the party's return to power in the city after more than 26 years.
The ceremony at the historic Ramlila Ground was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the top BJP brass and NDA chief ministers. Gupta is Delhi’s fourth woman chief minister. The 50-year-old MLA from Shalimar Bagh is also the only woman in the NDA team of chief ministers.
Gupta, 50, was chosen as Leader of the House in the newly constituted 8th Delhi Assembly, in a meeting of the BJP legislature party on Wednesday.
Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena invited Gupta to form the new government after she staked claim for it late Wednesday evening at Raj Niwas. She will become the ninth Chief Minister of Delhi after the administration of oath by the LG.
The six ministers who will be sworn in to Gupta’s cabinet are Parvesh Verma who defeated AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal from the New Delhi seat, Ashish Sood, Pankaj Singh, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Kapil Mishra and Ravinder Indraj.
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Live Updates
- 20 Feb 2025 12:11 PM GMT
People of Delhi ended reign of deceit and breach of promise, chosen BJP: Amit Shah
The BJP government in Delhi will make the city the best capital of the world by making it clean, beautiful and prosperous, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Thursday, as he congratulated new Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and her ministerial colleagues for taking oath of office.
Referring to the defeat of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the recent assembly elections, Shah also said the people of Delhi have ended the reign of deceit and breach of promise and chosen BJP, which is the synonym of service and dedication.
"Today, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Mrs. @gupta_rekha ji and all other ministers on taking oath as Chief Minister in the newly formed BJP government.
"The vision of a developed Delhi created by Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi for the welfare of the deprived, women, youth and poor of Delhi will definitely come true under the able leadership of all of you," he wrote on 'X' in Hindi.
The senior BJP leader said the party government will make Delhi the best capital of the world by making it clean, beautiful and prosperous.
- 20 Feb 2025 12:08 PM GMT
Rekha Gupta takes charge as 9th CM of Delhi
BJP MLA Rekha Gupta took charge as the ninth Chief Minister of Delhi at her Secretariat office on Thursday, asserting every commitment of the BJP will be fulfilled by her government.
Earlier in the day, the first-time MLA from Shalimar Bagh was administered oath as the chief minister by Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena in a grand ceremony at the Ramlila Maidan. Her Council of Ministers were also sworn in.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP's top brass, including Union ministers Amit Shah, JP Nadda, and Rajnath Singh, and the chief ministers and deputy chief ministers of several NDA-ruled states, attended the ceremony.
Later, Gupta reached the Delhi Secretariat to take charge as the chief minister of Delhi. She was accompanied by party leaders, including state BJP in-charge Baijayant Panda and state president Virendra Sachdeva among others.
After taking charge, Gupta told reporters not a single day would be wasted by her government in realising the "mission" of a "Viksit Delhi".
"We will fulfil all the commitments made to the people of Delhi," she said.
The chief minister said the new Cabinet will meet at 7 pm on Thursday and she, along with her ministers, will also perform an Arti at a Yamuna Ghat.
Those who took oath as ministers including Parvesh Verma, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Kapil Mishra, Pankaj Singh, Ashish Sood and Ravinder Indraj were present at the Delhi Secretariat. PTI
