Who Is Rekha Gupta? Shalimar Bagh MLA Set To Become First BJP CM In Capital After 26 Years

Rekha Gupta will succeed Aam Aadmi Party's Atishi as BJP returns to power in Delhi after more than 26 years by sweeping the February 5 Assembly polls in the national capital.

File photo of Delhi CM Rekha Gupta.

Source : Other

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday put speculations to rest by naming Rekha Gupta as the next Chief Minister in Delhi.

The announcement comes after a crucial meeting of the BJP at the state party office in the national capital, which was attended by party MLAs, MPs and observers Ravi Shankar Prasad and OP Dhankar.

Rekha Gupta will take oath in a ceremony at 12:30 pm on Thursday at the Ramlila ground in the heart of the national capital. It is likely to be attended by top BJP leaders, including chief ministers from party-ruled states.

More than 25,000 police personnel and over 15 companies of paramilitary forces will keep a strict vigil. The restrictions have been put in place around Ramlila Maidan in view of the swearing-in 

Here is all you need to know about Rekha Gupta, the next BJP Chief Minister of Delhi:

- Rekha Gupta became the MLA from Shalimar Bagh after defeating Bandana Kumari of AAP. She is set to become the only woman chief minister in a BJP-ruled state.

- An active member of RSS, Rekha Gupta started her political journey in 1992 through ABVP. 

- She has served as the General Secretary and President of Delhi University Students' Union between 1996-97. She also served as Secretary of BJP Yuva Morcha, Delhi (2003-2004), and then as the National Secretary (2004-2006).

- In the 2025 elections, Rekha Gupta defeated AAP sitting MLA Bandana Kumari by 29,595 votes. Bandana Kumari had been winning Shalimar Bagh since 2013.

- Though she contested Delhi Assembly Elections since 2013, she won the elections for the first time in 2025 assembly polls. 

- AAP leader Bandana Kumari had defeated Rekha Gupta in the 2020 polls by 3,440 votes and in the 2015 polls by 10,978 votes.

- Before contesting elections in 2013, Gupta was a member of BJP's National Executive since March 2010. She also served as a Councillor from North Pitampura (Ward 54) in 2007 and 2012.

- She will be the fourth woman chief minister of Delhi after Sushma Swaraj, Sheila Dikshit and Atishi. She has become the only woman chief minister among the states being ruled by the BJP at present.