Rekha Gupta Assumes Office As 9th CM of Delhi

New Delhi: BJP MLA Rekha Gupta took charge as the ninth Chief Minister of Delhi at her Secretariat office here on Thursday and asserted that every commitment made to the people will be fulfilled by her government.

Earlier in the day, the first-time MLA from Shalimar Bagh was administered oath as the chief minister by Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena in a grand ceremony at the Ramlila Maidan. Her Council of Ministers were also sworn in.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP's top brass, including Union ministers Amit Shah, JP Nadda, and Rajnath Singh, and the chief ministers and deputy chief ministers of several NDA-ruled states, attended the ceremony.

Later, Gupta reached the Delhi Secretariat to take charge as the chief minister of Delhi. She was accompanied by party leaders, including state BJP in-charge Baijayant Panda and state president Virendra Sachdeva among others.

After taking charge, Gupta told reporters not a single day would be wasted by her government in realising the "mission" of a "Viksit Delhi". "We will fulfil all the commitments made to the people of Delhi," she said. The chief minister said the new Cabinet will meet at 7 pm on Thursday and she, along with her ministers, will also perform an Arti at a Yamuna Ghat.

Those who took oath as ministers including Parvesh Verma, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Kapil Mishra, Pankaj Singh, Ashish Sood and Ravinder Indraj were present at the Delhi Secretariat. Earlier, Rekha Gupta assured that her government will fulfill its promise of providing Rs 2,500 monthly assistance to women and added that the AAP would be held accountable for its actions during its rule.

The first installment of the monthly support would be credited to eligible women's accounts by March 8, Gupta told reporters outside her residence. Ahead of the polls, the BJP's manifesto aimed to outdo the Aam Aadmi Party's announcement of Rs 2,100 monthly support if it came to power. Slamming the previous AAP government, Gupta said, "They will have to give an account for each and every penny to the people." Ahead of her swearing-in ceremony at the Ramlila Maidan later in the day, Gupta visited the Shri Marghat Wale Hanuman Baba temple at Kashmiri Gate. Gupta, who was elected as the leader of the BJP legislature party on Wednesday, emphasised that delivering on their promises is her top priority. "Fulfilling the dream of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the responsibility of all 48 BJP MLAs in the capital. We will definitely fulfill all our promises, including financial support for women. Women will 100 per cent get monetary support into their accounts by March 8," she said.

March 8 is observed as the International Women's Day. BJP MLAs Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma, who defeated former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Ashish Sood, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Ravinder Indraj Singh, Kapil Mishra and Pankaj Singh will be induced into Gupta's Cabinet, as per to a Union Home Ministry's gazette notification. Speaking to reporters before his oath-taking, Karawal Nagar MLA Kapil Mishra said the BJP government in Delhi will implement PM Modi's vision for the city.