Rekha Gupta Takes Oath as Delhi CM: Women’s ₹2,500 Monthly Assistance to Start by March 8

New Delhi : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA-elect Rekha Gupta, a first-time legislator from Shalimar Bagh, is set to be sworn in as the fourth woman chief minister of Delhi on Thursday. The oath-taking ceremony will take place at a grand event at Ramlila Ground, marking the BJP’s return to power in the national capital after 27 years. The party secured a majority with 48 seats in the 70-member Delhi Legislative Assembly.

Alongside Rekha Gupta, several BJP MLAs, including Parvesh Verma, Ashish Sood, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Raviraj Indraj Singh, Kapil Mishra, and Pankaj Kumar Singh, will take the oath as ministers.

One of the key announcements made by Rekha Gupta ahead of her swearing-in is the rollout of the Mahila Samridhi Yojana, a monthly income support scheme aimed at empowering women in Delhi. Under this scheme, women will receive ₹2,500 per month, with the first tranche expected to be credited directly to their bank accounts by March 8, coinciding with International Women’s Day. Gupta emphasized that the initiative reflects the BJP’s commitment to women’s welfare and financial independence.

The suspense surrounding the BJP’s chief ministerial candidate ended on Wednesday after an internal meeting of party MLAs. The 50-year-old Rekha Gupta was unanimously elected as the party’s leader and subsequently met Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena to formally stake her claim to form the government. Gupta’s elevation to the top post marks a significant moment, as she becomes the fourth woman to lead Delhi, following the footsteps of Sushma Swaraj, Sheila Dikshit, and Chaudhary Brahm Prakash’s deputy, Sucheta Kripalani.

Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has been in power since 2015, criticized the BJP over the delay in announcing its chief ministerial candidate. AAP leaders urged the new government to shift its focus to addressing pressing issues such as law and order, infrastructure, and public services in Delhi.

With the BJP’s return to power, expectations are high regarding its governance approach, especially in areas like women’s welfare, urban development, and public safety.