The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday (Feb 19) announced the name of first-time MLA Rekha Gupta as the next Chief Minister of Delhi. The announcement was made after a meeting of the Legislature Party was held in the evening. 

Advertisment

Gupta, 50-year-old MLA from Shalimar Bagh constituency, defeated Aam Aadmi Party's leader Bandana Kumari in the recently held Assembly elections. She will be taking the oath at the Ram Leela Maidan on Thursday at 12 noon.

"Committed to taking Delhi to new heights," Rekha Gupta said after being elected as the new Delhi Chief Minister.  She further vowed to work with "full honesty, integrity and dedication for the welfare, empowerment and overall development of every citizen of Delhi". 

She also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and all the BJP MLAs for giving her the responsibility. 

Advertisment

Rekha Gupta, a former president of Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU), will be the fourth woman chief minister of Delhi after Sushma Swaraj of BJP, Sheila Dikshit of Congress, and Atishi of Aam Aadmi Party. 

Meanwhile, Parvesh Verma will be the Deputy Chief Minister. He got the title of "giant killer" after defeating Arvind Kejriwal from the New Delhi assembly seat. 

Advertisment

The BJP returned to power in Delhi with a landslide victory, securing 48 out of 70 assembly seats and ending a 27-year-long wait.

Also read: Delhi CM Announcement LIVE: BJP names Rekha Gupta as new Delhi Chief Minister

In contrast, the erstwhile Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) faced a significant defeat, winning just 22 seats, while the Congress failed to open its account for the third time in a row.

BJP Delhi shared a post on X, congratulating Rekha Gupta for being elected as the leader of the Delhi BJP Legislative Party.

Also read: Delhi CM announcement: Will BJP select a female face? Party set to hold key meeting at 7 pm

"Hearty congratulations and best wishes to Mrs. Rekha Gupta ji on being elected the leader of the Delhi BJP Legislative Party. We have full faith that the state will progress under your leadership," the post read. 

The swearing-in ceremony of the Delhi CM is scheduled to be held at Ram Leela Maidan on Thursday (Feb 20) at 11 am. The grand event is expected to witness musical performances ahead of the oath-taking ceremony. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and other senior leaders will attend the oath-taking ceremony. Moreover, all Union Ministers and NDA leaders have also been invited to attend the ceremony.

Also read: WATCH | Preparations underway for Delhi CM swearing-in ceremony, invitations sent, but face remains a mystery

What all to expect at the ceremony?

As the grand swearing-in ceremony will witness several ministers and dignitaries, all roads leading to the Ram Leela Maidan will be closed from the night of February 19. 

To ensure safety, only VVIP vehicles will be allowed entry. 

The ceremony will be attended by about 30,000 guests.

Before the ceremony, a colourful musical programme will be held on the stage of Ram Leela Maidan. 

Popular singer Kailash Kher will be performing at the ceremony. 

More than 50 film stars, including Akshay Kumar, Vivek Oberoi, Hema Malini, and Kailash Kher will be present to witness the Delhi CM's swearing-in ceremony. 

Also read: Delhi Assembly Elections Results 2025: Delhi CM Atishi wins from Kalkaji constituency

Moreover, famous industrialists Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani, and a dozen others will also be present at Ramlila Maidan.

(With inputs from agencies)