New Delhi: Rekha Gupta, the BJP’s choice for Delhi Chief Minister, left her home Wednesday evening to attend a meeting of the party’s newly elected legislators. As one of the 48 BJP MLAs, she joined the gathering where they were tasked with selecting the Chief Minister, cabinet members, and the Speaker.
By the end of the meeting, Ms. Gupta emerged with the top position.
Speaking to NDTV this morning, just hours before her oath-taking ceremony, an elated Ms. Gupta said, “When I left home, I did not know I would become the Chief Minister.”
In a surprising twist, Ms. Gupta revealed that ‘giant-killer’ Parvesh Verma—who defeated Arvind Kejriwal to win the New Delhi seat and was widely expected to claim the Chief Minister’s post—was the one who proposed her name.
“The media was definitely talking about me (sources had told NDTV I was a possible candidate)… but I only found out when Parvesh Verma proposed my name,” she said.
Ms. Gupta also outlined her plans for the national capital, emphasizing a crackdown on corruption—a charge the BJP has consistently leveled against the outgoing AAP government. “Every act of corruption by previous governments will be investigated, and every single penny will be accounted for,” she asserted.
Her remarks echoed those she made late last night, shortly after being named the party’s choice for Chief Minister. She promised to work with “full honesty, integrity, and dedication for the welfare, empowerment, and overall development of every citizen of Delhi.”
Rekha Gupta, a first-time MLA from the Shalimar Bagh seat—previously held by AAP’s Bandana Kumari since 2013—also pledged to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s expectations. She expressed gratitude to the voters of Delhi, especially women, for trusting her to lead.
Ms. Gupta and her council of six ministers, including Mr. Verma, will be sworn in at a grand ceremony at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan shortly after noon today.
In addition to the usual invitations extended to movie stars and industrialists, the BJP has also invited the ‘aam aadmi’—including auto-rickshaw drivers, once considered loyal supporters of the defeated AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal—along with farmers and women.
