Rekha Gupta, a first-time MLA, did not figure as a probable Chief Minister when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the Delhi Assembly elections after 26 years this February. But now, after more than 100 days in the hot seat, Ms. Gupta is gradually putting her stamp on governance in the capital city, and carving out a space for herself in a highly male-dominated party.
Ms. Gupta, who started her political career as a member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad at the University of Delhi in 1992, holds 10 portfolios, including Revenue and Finance. In comparison, former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) held only the Water portfolio for about two and a half years, during his tenure from 2015 to 2024.
“From the first day, she has been going on field visits to understand the ground realities. She also conducted separate review meetings of all departments,” an aide at the Chief’s Minister’s Office (CMO) said, adding that Ms. Gupta has also been attending public functions regularly.
Ms. Gupta also goes on field visits of departments that are governed by other ministers, possibly to establish that she is in charge. When she started off, she would sometimes hold “12-14 meetings and events” a day, an official said. But the frequency of these has come down, the official added.
Ms. Gupta continues to live in her own house in Shalimar Bagh instead of moving to a government bungalow in central Delhi. She holds public meetings (jan sunwayi) during several mornings at home, and people with grievances line up outside.
Compared to the hostile relationship between the Central government, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the Delhi government, led by the AAP, in the past, there is now a cordial relationship between the two. In March, Chief Minister Gupta announced an annual budget of ₹1 lakh crore, the highest in Delhi’s history, as the Central government promised more financial aid. An official said that apart from increasing funds, the Centre has also been helping the Delhi government plan schemes. They have held meetings on cleaning the Yamuna river, and the Ministry of Home Affairs has brought everyone to the table to find a solution.
Ms. Gupta has slowly become a stricter administrator, officials observed. “Earlier this month, there was severe waterlogging in Delhi. During a meeting with the department heads of different agencies, she pulled up senior officials,” an official recalled.
The official said that at the beginning of her tenure, Ms. Gupta often looked “vulnerable” during meetings. “But she would still try and pick up the broad contours of various issues and prioritise tasks. She is clear-headed. But she knows that she has little time to prove herself as all the other ministers are also her competitors in a way.”
An official said that while Mr. Kejriwal functioned mostly out of his camp office at Civil Lines, Mr. Gupta comes to the Secretariat almost every day except on Sundays. The official also said that the functioning of the CMO has changed under Ms. Gupta. Files from ministers on policy decisions come to the CMO, and a brief is made and put up to the Chief Minister and also to the concerned Central government departments for technical assistance. “This is done by the deputy secretaries and joint secretaries at the CMO. Such coordination was not there under the AAP,” the official said. Ms. Gupta is also conducting verification drives to check the beneficiaries of various schemes.
The Chief Minister also faces several challenges. Solving legacy problems such as urban infrastructural issues, air pollution, or a polluted Yamuna river is easier said than done. During her first 100 days, there have also been various protests. There has been growing outrage over the arbitrary fee hikes at private schools. Slum dwellers have said that they have not been provided in-situ rehabilitation, as promised. People have also complained bitterly about power cuts and the increase in electricity charges.
Being Chief Minister when there are other prominent faces in the party is also not easy. At times, there have been disagreements over who takes credit for the work done by different departments, sources said. However, with the BJP coming back to power in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi last month, the ‘double engine’ government has given Ms. Gupta a chance to work more seamlessly for the people of Delhi.
nikhil.m@thehindu.co.in
Published – June 04, 2025 01:45 am IST
