Rekha Gupta of BJP Sworn in as 9th Chief Minister of NCT Delhi

Mrs Rekha Gupta of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was sworn in as the 4th woman and 9th Chief Minister of the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi on 20th February 2025. Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma, who defeated former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the recently held 8th Delhi Legislative Assembly Election 2025, was sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister of NCT Delhi.

The first-time MLA from Shalimar Bagh constituency, Rekha Gupta and her six cabinet ministers were administered the oath of office and secrecy by the Lieutenant Governor of NCT Delhi, Vinai Kumar Saxena, at a function held at the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries were also present during the swearing-in ceremony.

Rekha Gupta replaces Atishi Marlena as the Chief Minister, whose party, the Aam Aadmi Party, lost the recently held Delhi Legislative Assembly election.

The BJP won 48 seats in the 70-member Delhi Legislative Assembly election held on 5th February 2025. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party won only 22 seats, and its founder and former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal lost his seat to Parvesh Verma of the BJP.

BJP has returned to power in Delhi after a gap of 27 years.

About Rekha Gupta 

Rekha Gupta was elected as a member of the Delhi Legislative Assembly for the first time. She won her Shalimar Bagh assembly constituency in the 2025 Legislative Assembly election.

She is a former president and general secretary of the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU). She has also been the general secretary of the BJP Mahila Morcha in Delhi and a member of the party’s national executive committee.

She has also been elected as a member of the Delhi Municipal Corporation.

4th Women Chief Minister of Delhi and 18th in India 

Rekha Gupta is the 4th woman to become the Chief Minister of Delhi. She is also the 18th woman to become the Chief Minister in India. 

Her predecessor, Atishi Marlena, was the 17th woman to become the Chief Minister and the 3rd of Delhi.

Sucheta Kriplani was the first woman Chief Minister in India. She was the Chief Minister of the United Province (later Uttar Pradesh) from 1963 to 1967.

Other Women Chief Minister in Delhi 

• Sushma Swaraj of the BJP was the first woman Chief Minister of Delhi (12 Oct 1998- 03 Dec 1998). She also holds the record for being the Chief Minister of NCT Delhi for the shortest term of 52 days.
• Sheila Dikshit (03 Dec 1998-28 Dec 2013). She also holds the record of being the longest-serving Chief Minister of Delhi.
• Atishi Marlena (21 September 2024- 19 February 2025). Third woman Chief Minister of Delhi. At the age of 42, she is the youngest Chief Minister of Delhi.

Provision Regarding CM and Ministers in NCT Delhi  

NCT Delhi is one of the eight Union Territories in the country. It is one of the three Union Territories with a popularly elected Legislative Assembly, the other being Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir.

The 66th Constitutional Amendment Act 1991 added articles 239AA and 239AB.in the constitution and has made provisions regarding the Legislative Assembly and the power and functions of the Chief Minister and the Council of Ministers in NCT Delhi.

• The President appoints the Chief Minister of NCT Delhi.
• The maximum number of ministers, including the Chief Minister in the Council of Ministers in NCT Delhi, cannot be more than 10 per cent of the total members of the Legislative Assembly. Thus, it cannot be more than 7 as the total number of members of the Delhi Legislative Assembly is 70.
• The President appoints the Ministers on the advice of the Chief Minister.

List of Chief Ministers of Delhi 

Chaudhary Brahm Prakash was appointed the first Chief Minister of Delhi in 1952 when Delhi was a Group C state in India. 

The post of the Chief Minister was abolished in 1956 when the State Reorganisation Act 1956 made Delhi a Union Territory without a Legislative Assembly.

After the passing of the 66th Constitutional Amendment Act 1991, an election for a new Legislative Assembly was held in 1993 and Madan Lal Khurana of the BJP was appointed as the Chief Minister in 1993.

Also Read: After 27 years BJP Voted Back to power in NCT Delhi