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Rekha Gupta

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Rekha Gupta
Gupta in 2025
7th Chief Minister of Delhi
Incumbent
Assumed office
20 February 2025
Lieutenant GovernorVinai Kumar Saxena
Ministry and Departments
List
    • General Administration
    • Finance
    • Planning
    • Revenue
    • Women & Child Development
    • Land & Building
    • Services
    • Information & Public Relation
    • Vigilance
    • Administrative Reforms
    • Any other department not allocated to other Ministers
Preceded byAtishi Marlena
Member of Delhi Legislative Assembly
Incumbent
Assumed office
8 February 2025
Preceded byBandana Kumari
ConstituencyShalimar Bagh
Personal details
BornRekha Jindal
(1974-07-19) 19 July 1974 (age 51)
Julana, Haryana, India
PartyBharatiya Janata Party
(2002–present)
SpouseManish Gupta
Children2
Residence
EducationDaulat Ram College, DU (BCom)
Chaudhary Charan Singh University (LLB)
Occupation
  • Politician
  • lawyer

Rekha Gupta (née Jindal; born 19 July 1974)[1] is an Indian politician who is serving as the current Chief Minister of Delhi from February 2025. A member of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), she has been the MLA for Shalimar Bagh since 2025.[2][3]

She had previously been general secretary and president of the Delhi University Students Union, and is a member of the National Executive and general secretary of the Delhi state unit of the BJP.[4]

Early life and education

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Gupta was born in Julana, Haryana on 19 July 1974.[5] She graduated from Daulat Ram College under Delhi University and completed LLB from IMIRC College of Law Bhaina, Ghaziabad under Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut in 2022.[6]

Career

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Student politics

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Gupta entered politics with the Delhi University students union elections and was elected President of Delhi University Students' Union in 1996. She held this post until 1997.[7]

Early electoral career

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She is a three-time councillor and former Education committee Chairman of North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC). She was elected to the Delhi Councillor elections from Uttari Pitampura (Ward 54) in 2007 and 2012.[8][9][10] She was also pitted by the BJP as the MCD mayoral candidate against AAP's Shelly Oberoi in 2022.[11]

Gupta is the National Vice President of the BJP Mahila Morcha and had previously served as the general secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Delhi.[12]

She won the Shalimar Bagh Assembly constituency in 2025 assembly elections with a margin of 29,595 votes by defeating AAP's Bandana Kumari.[13]

Gupta was also a member of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and started her political journey as a member of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad.[14]

Chief ministership (2025-present)

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Main article: Rekha Gupta ministry

Gupta was named as the Chief Minister of Delhi by the BJP on 19 February, with the appointment taking effect the next day.[15]

In August 2025, Gupta was publicly physically assaulted during a jansunwai event.[16][17]

The Indian govt cancelled plans to renovate the Chief Minister’s residence; renovations which were to cost 60 lakh rupees including 14 air conditioners, televisions and electrical fixtures[18]

2025 Yamuna Ghat controversy

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In October 2025, Gupta’s government faced criticism from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and the Indian National Congress over preparations for Chhath Puja at the Yamuna ghats. Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Devender Yadav,[19] and AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj alleged that a “fake artificial Yamuna” was created at Vasudev Ghat by filling the area with filtered water from the wazirabad water treatment plant, which supplies drinking water to Delhi, ahead of prime minister Narendra Modi’s visit, while other ghats remained polluted.[20] The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Gupta rejected the accusations as politically motivated, asserting that the Yamuna had been cleaned and natural ghats prepared for devotees.[21][22]

According to the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), the Yamuna’s water in October 2025 was deemed unsuitable for bathing across most parts of Delhi, except at Palla—the point where the river enters the city—due to elevated concentrations of ammonia and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), reflecting significant organic contamination.[23]

Infrastructure and pollution issues

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During her tenure as chief minister, Rekha Gupta’s government faced criticism over infrastructure planning and environmental management in Delhi. Opposition parties and civil society groups alleged that several large infrastructure projects were announced without adequate environmental safeguards, contributing to rising air and water pollution in the capital.

Concerns were raised over the pace and quality of road expansion, flyover construction, and urban redevelopment projects, with critics arguing that frequent digging, delayed completion, and lack of dust-control measures worsened particulate pollution levels.[24] Environmental experts also pointed to inadequate enforcement of the Construction and demolition waste management rules during major public works.[25]

The government’s handling of pollution in the Yamuna river also attracted scrutiny. Despite repeated assurances of river rejuvenation, monitoring data released by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee indicated persistently high levels of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and ammonia at multiple locations within Delhi, raising questions about the effectiveness of sewage treatment and river-cleaning measures.[26]

Gupta and the Bharatiya Janata Party rejected allegations of administrative failure, stating that long-term pollution problems were the result of decades of unplanned urbanisation and inter-state factors. The government maintained that multiple infrastructure and pollution-control projects were at different stages of implementation and would yield results over time.[27]

Electoral performance

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This section is transcluded from Shalimar Bagh Assembly constituency. (edit | history)
Delhi Assembly elections, 2025: Shalimar Bagh
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
BJP Rekha Gupta 68,200 59.95 Increase13.49
AAP Bandana Kumari 38,605 33.93 Decrease15.48
INC Praveen Jain 4,892 4.30 Increase2.17
NOTA None of the above 770 0.68 Increase0.05
Majority 29,595 26.02 Increase23.07
Turnout 1,12,994 58.6
BJP gain from AAP Swing
Delhi Assembly elections, 2020: Shalimar Bagh[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
AAP Bandana Kumari 57,707 49.41 −2.73
BJP Rekha Gupta 54,267 46.46 +3.45
INC J. S. Nayol 2,491 2.13 −0.53
NOTA None of the above 735 0.63 +0.11
Majority 3,440 2.95 −6.18
Turnout 1,17,030 61.80 −7.09
AAP hold Swing -2.73
Delhi Assembly elections, 2015: Shalimar Bagh
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
AAP Bandana Kumari 62,656 52.14 +8.13
BJP Rekha Gupta 51,678 43.01 +8.92
INC Sulekh Aggarwal 3,200 2.66 −11.93
BSP Lalit Kumar Gautam 892 0.74 −1.74
NOTA None 627 0.52 −0.34
Majority 10,978 9.14 −0.78
Turnout 1,20,173 68.90
AAP hold Swing +8.13

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Thapa, Vaidika (20 February 2025). "Rekha Gupta Family: Banker Father, Businessman Husband And More About Delhi's CM-Designate News24 -". News24. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  2. ^ "Who is Rekha Gupta, Delhi's new chief minister?". Hindustan Times. 19 February 2025. Archived from the original on 20 February 2025. Retrieved 20 February 2025.
  3. ^ "Rekha Gupta sworn in as Delhi Chief Minister; Becomes 4th Woman CM of national capital". DD News. Archived from the original on 20 February 2025. Retrieved 20 February 2025.
  4. ^ "Delhi New CM: कौन है रेखा गुप्ता जो सीएम रेस में है आगे! इस वजह से मानी जा रही है मजबूत दावेदारी". NDTV (in Hindi). Retrieved 19 February 2025.
  5. ^ Verma, Saurabh (20 February 2025). "Rekha Gupta's Education, Net Worth & Family: Everything You Need To Know About New Delhi CM". News18. Archived from the original on 19 February 2025. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
  6. ^ Mahajan, Satvika (19 February 2025). "Who is Rekha Gupta, Delhi's new Chief Minister?". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 19 February 2025. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
  7. ^ Mathur, Atul (20 February 2025). "Rekha Gupta: A surprise pick who has always kept low profile". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 20 February 2025. Retrieved 20 February 2025.
  8. ^ "BJP names Rekha Gupta as its Delhi mayor candidate. Who is she?". India Today. 27 December 2022. Archived from the original on 19 February 2025. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  9. ^ "Shalimar Bagh election results 2025 highlights: BJP's Rekha Gupta breaks AAP's winning streak". The Times of India. 8 February 2025. Archived from the original on 9 February 2025. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  10. ^ "Rekha Gupta ::A proud Indian". Rekha Gupta. Archived from the original on 14 February 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  11. ^ "AAP's Shelly Oberoi defeats BJP's Rekha Gupta to become Delhi mayor". The New Indian Express. PTI. 22 February 2023. Archived from the original on 20 February 2025. Retrieved 20 February 2025.
  12. ^ "Why Sheila Dikshit, Sushma Swaraj, and Atishi could be the reason behind BJP picking Rekha Gupta as Delhi CM". Economic Times. 20 February 2025. Retrieved 20 February 2025.
  13. ^ "Delhi Assembly Elections Results 2025 - Shalimar Bagh". Election Commission of India. 8 February 2025. Archived from the original on 19 February 2025. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
  14. ^ "Who Is Rekha Gupta? Her Journey From DUSU President To Delhi Chief Minister".
  15. ^ "Indian prime minister's party names a woman as top government official in New Delhi state". AP News. 19 February 2025. Archived from the original on 20 February 2025. Retrieved 20 February 2025.
  16. ^ "Delhi Chief Minister Slapped, Her Hair Pulled, Attempt To Murder Case Filed". www.ndtv.com. Archived from the original on 23 August 2025. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
  17. ^ Chanchal (20 August 2025). "Delhi CM Rekha Gupta 'slapped': What happened during Jan Sunwai event? 5 key points | Today News". mint. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
  18. ^ PTI (9 July 2025). "Delhi CM Rekha Gupta's residence renovation tender cancelled over administrative reasons". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
  19. ^ "BJP's Yamuna cleaning drive a publicity stunt: Yadav". The Tribune. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  20. ^ "AAP vs BJP over 'artificial Yamuna' ahead of PM Narendra Modi's Chhath Puja dip in Delhi". Hindustan Times. 27 October 2025. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  21. ^ Bhardwaj, Amit (25 October 2025). "AAP brings Yamuna water to CM's door, dares her to prove BJP's 'clean river' claim". India Today. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  22. ^ "'Govt is lying': AAP slams Delhi CM Rekha Gupta; challenges BJP leaders to drink Yamuna water if it's clean". The Times of India. 20 October 2025. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  23. ^ Verma, Ishika (26 October 2025). "Chhath Politics: AAP-BJP Face Off Over 'Fake Ghat' And Yamuna Pollution". www.ndtv.com. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  24. ^ "Delhi's infrastructure push raises pollution concerns". The Hindu. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
  25. ^ "Construction dust remains major contributor to Delhi air pollution". The Indian Express. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
  26. ^ "Yamuna remains heavily polluted despite clean-up claims". NDTV. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
  27. ^ "Delhi govt says pollution control needs time, cooperation of states". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
  28. ^ "Statistical Report on General Election, 2020 to the Legislative Assembly of NCT of Delhi". eci.gov.in. Election Commission of India. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
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