Rekha Gupta, the incoming Delhi chief minister from India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, will have in her cabinet Parvesh Verma, who defeated Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal. The notification was released just hours before Gupta’s swearing-in ceremony on Thursday (Feb 20). The Indian Union Home Ministry said that on the advice of the CM-designate Rekha Gupta, six BJP MLAs are to take oath as ministers of the Delhi government. 

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Who are the six new Delhi ministers?

As per the Union Home Ministry notification, BJP MLAs Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma, Ashish Sood, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Ravinder Indraj, Kapil Mishra and Pankaj Kumar Singh will be ministers in Rekha Gupta’s cabinet.

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Parvesh Verma, who gained national attention after defeating AAP chief and former Delhi CM Kejriwal in the recent Delhi elections, is among the key faces in the new administration. Son of former Delhi chief minister Sahib Singh Verma, he was also a member of Lok Sabha, India's lower house of parliament.

The ministers will take oath alongside CM-designate Gupta on Thursday (Feb 20).

The grand ceremony will take place at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan and will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, senior union ministers, and several chief ministers from BJP-led states.

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Delhi's fourth female chief minister

Rekha Gupta, a first-time MLA from Shalimar Bagh, will be Delhi's fourth woman chief minister..

Also read | Rekha Gupta named next Delhi Chief Minister, becomes fourth woman to lead Indian capital

Expressing gratitude towards the BJP leadership, particularly Prime Minister Modi, for entrusting her with the role of Delhi’s Chief Minister, she said: "I want to thank the party high command, PM Modi, and the people of Delhi for supporting me and choosing me. A huge change is going to come in Delhi, the golden period of the city is going to come... Fulfilling PM Modi's vision and the commitment that we have made to the people is my goal and priority..."

“I am thankful to the party high command, PM Modi, and the people of Delhi for their support. A huge transformation is on the horizon for Delhi. The city is about to witness its golden period,” Gupta stated. She further pledged to fulfill the commitments made to Delhi residents and align her administration with the Prime Minister’s vision.

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“PM Narendra Modi has shown immense faith in an ordinary party worker and daughter like me. I will stand up to his expectations. I want to thank the party leadership and PM Narendra Modi who showed immense faith in a commoner like me and bestowed such a big responsibility on me... My story can be an inspiration for every woman, that a common middle-class woman can also be given a chance to reach the top leadership of the party...,“ she added.

(With inputs from agencies)