Rekha Gupta took the oath as the Chief Minister of Delhi in a grand ceremony held at Ramlila Maidan on Thursday. The swearing-in ceremony began at 12:05 PM. Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena first administered the oath to Rekha Gupta as the Chief Minister, followed by the oath-taking of her six cabinet colleagues.
Rekha Gupta is the fourth woman to become the Chief Minister of Delhi. Let’s take a look at who these six newly appointed ministers in the Delhi government are.
1. Parvesh Verma
The first person to take oath as a cabinet minister at Ramlila Maidan was Parvesh Verma. Till yesterday he was considered a strong contender for the post of Chief Minister, but the BJP chose Rekha Gupta in his place.
Parvesh Verma was elected MLA from New Delhi Assembly seat where he defeated Aam Aadmi Party national convenor and former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Parvesh Verma has previously been an MP from West Delhi twice. He is known as a prominent Jat leader in the city and is considered one of the fiery leaders of the BJP. As an MP, many of his statements have made headlines.
2. Ashish Sood
Ashish Sood also took oath as minister at Ramlila Maidan. He is an MLA from Janakpuri and is considered a soft-spoken face of Punjabi politics in BJP. Like Rekha Gupta, Sood is also a first-time MLA, although he has previously been a municipal councillor.
This is his first electoral win in assembly politics, but Ashish Sood has had a long organisational career. He is currently the BJP in-charge for Goa and co-in-charge of Jammu and Kashmir. He is known for his clean image and has strong ties with the BJP central leadership.
Sood started his political journey with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and has close ties with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He has also served as the general secretary and vice-president of the BJP’s youth wing, the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM).
Besides, he has held key positions such as secretary and general secretary in the Delhi BJP. His rise in politics is a result of his grassroots work within the party organisation.
3. Manjinder Sirsa
Manjinder Singh Sirsa, who joined BJP from Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), has also been made a cabinet minister. Although he initially contested the election as an Akali Dal candidate on a BJP ticket, over time he completely merged with the BJP.
Sirsa won the Delhi Assembly elections in 2013 on an Akali Dal ticket when the party was in alliance with the BJP. He is a prominent Sikh face of the BJP in Delhi and represents the Rajouri Garden constituency. He has been elected MLA for the third time.
In 2021, Manjinder Singh Sirsa officially joined the BJP after resigning from the Shiromani Akali Dal. His inclusion in the cabinet has further strengthened the Sikh representation of the BJP in the national capital.
4. Ravinder Indraj Singh
Among those sworn in as cabinet ministers was Ravinder Inderaj Singh. He is a prominent young Dalit leader from Delhi and has been elected MLA for the first time from Bawana reserved constituency.
Singh has been active as an executive member of the BJP’s Scheduled Caste Front and has been working for the upliftment of the Dalit community for a long time.
In the recent elections, he won by defeating AAP candidate Jai Bhagwan Upkar by 31,475 votes. His inclusion in the cabinet has strengthened the BJP’s reach to the Dalit community in Delhi.
5. Kapil Mishra
Kapil Mishra is an MLA from Karawal Nagar and is known as a staunch Hindu and Purvanchal leader. He has been elected MLA from Karawal Nagar for the second time. Earlier, he had been a minister in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government before joining the BJP.
Before attending the swearing-in ceremony, Kapil Mishra offered prayers at the Jhandewalan temple.
6. Dr Pankaj Kumar Singh
Dr Pankaj Kumar Singh is the MLA from Vikaspuri. A dentist by profession, he is known as a prominent Purvanchali leader with deep ties to Bihar. He hails from Buxar, Bihar and carries the Bihar factor in Delhi politics.
His father Raj Mohan Singh was earlier working as a commissioner in Delhi, while his elder brother is a lawyer in the Supreme Court. Dr. Pankaj Kumar Singh has now taken oath as a minister in the New Delhi government.
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