Rekha Gupta, a seasoned politician from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is set to take office as the 9th Chief Minister of Delhi on February 20, 2025. She becomes the fourth woman to hold the position, following in the footsteps of Atishi Singh, Sushma Swaraj, and Sheila Dikshit. A Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Shalimar Bagh, Gupta has steadily climbed the ranks in Delhi’s political landscape, earning recognition for her leadership skills and grassroots connect.
Who Is Rekha Gupta?
Born on July 19, 1974, in Julana, Haryana, Rekha Gupta hails from a Hindu-Vaishya family. She pursued her undergraduate studies at Daulat Ram College, University of Delhi, before obtaining a law degree from IMIRC College of Law, Ghaziabad, affiliated with Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut, in 2022. Her academic background in law has significantly contributed to her approach to governance and policymaking.
Rekha Gupta’s political journey began in student politics when she was elected as the President of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) in 1996. Her tenure in DUSU laid the foundation for her active involvement in mainstream politics. She was associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and began her political career as a member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the RSS.
Rekha Gupta’s rise within the BJP was marked by her successive electoral victories in municipal governance. She served as a three-time councillor and held the position of Mayor of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC). She won municipal elections from Uttari Pitampura (Ward 54) in both 2007 and 2012. In 2022, the BJP fielded her as its candidate for the post of Mayor of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), where she contested against AAP’s Shelly Oberoi.
Within the BJP, she has held key leadership roles, including serving as the National Vice President of the BJP Mahila Morcha and General Secretary of the party’s Delhi unit. Her political strategy and outreach efforts have made her a prominent face of the party in the capital.
Chief Ministerial Victory and Future Prospects In the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections, Gupta secured a decisive victory from the Shalimar Bagh constituency, defeating AAP’s Bandana Kumari by a margin of 29,595 votes. This electoral triumph solidified her position within the BJP and paved the way for her elevation as the Leader of the BJP Legislative Party in Delhi.
On February 19, 2025, she was formally elected as the BJP Legislative Party Leader and subsequently met Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena to stake her claim to form the government.
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