Rekha Gupta Takes Hot Seat in Delhi for BJP’s Woman-led Innings
Delhi CM oath ceremony Image credit X.com
BJP Works Out Caste Chemistry in Picking Delhi Ministers
By Amit Kumar
New Delhi, February 20: The Bharatiya Janata Party legislature leader Rekha Gupta today took oath as the 9th Chief Minister of Delhi at a Mega function at the Ram Leela Ground. Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the oath-taking ceremony of the Chief Minister.
Six ministers also took oath of the offices at the function. Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena administered oath of the offices to the Chief Minister and the Ministers.
The BJP played caste card in picking the nominees for the Council of Ministers in Delhi. The BJP is aiming to nurse formidable electoral constituencies with choices for CM and ministers. Rekha Gupta represents the Vaishya caste, which has an influential base in the national capital. Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also hailed from the Vaishya caste.
Forner Lok Sabha MP Parvesh Verma, who defeated Kejriwal from the New Delhi Assembly constituency, also took oath of the office as the Minister in the Council of Ministers headed by Rekha Gupta. The Janakpuri Assembly seat MLA Ashish Sood also took oath as a Minister. Besides, Pankaj Singh, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Ravindra Inder Singh, also became Ministers in Delhi.
The BJP MLA from Karawal Nagar Kapil Mishra also became a Minister. Mishra is a Purvanchali. He had quit the AAP in 2019.
Modi congratulated the Chief Minister and the other six Ministers for taking oaths of offices. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva congratulated Gupta for becoming the Chief Minister, saying that it marks the “beginning of the golden era of Delhi”.
The BJP by inducting Sirsa in the Delhi Cabinet also sought to send the message to Punjab politics. Political experts opined that the choice of the Chief Minister is quite tactical on the part of the BJP.
“The Aam Aadmi Party continues to be strong in Delhi, having won almost 42% vote base in the Assembly elections. This explains why the BJP picked up Rekha Gupta for the post of the Chief Minister,” said political analyst Deepak Upreti while speaking with The Raisina Hills.
She would be able to counter the middle class image of the national convener of the Aam Aadmi Party, said Upreti, adding: “Rekha Gupta is also an educated politician having done her LLB degree from Delhi University.”
Political analysts also argued that Rekha Gupta’s middle-class image will suit the BJP in the near future. That the BJP has put in place a woman CM will help the party counter the comeback of the AAP in the Delhi politics, said Upreti.
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