NEW DELHI: Delhi chief minister-designate Rekha Gupta on Thursday said she would not stay in the official CM residence, often referred to by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as “Sheesh Mahal,” and said “Anyone who has been corrupt will have to account for every rupee.”
When asked by a reporter whether she would stay in Sheesh Mahal, Gupta dismissed the idea, responding with a firm, “Nahi, nahi.”
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Speaking briefly to reporters while heading to the swearing-in ceremony, Gupta called her appointment a “miracle” and a “new motivation,” adding, “If I can be the CM, it means doors are open for all women.”
Additionally, she said that issues like women’s safety, unemployment, and other electoral promises would be addressed through detailed planning.
Rekha Gupta, a BJP leader from Shalimar Bagh, is set to take the oath as Delhi’s chief minister at Ramlila Maidan. She was elected leader of the BJP legislative party at a meeting of newly-elected MLAs on Wednesday.
The meeting was attended by BJP central observers Ravi Shankar Prasad and Om Prakash Dhankar.
The BJP has returned to power in Delhi after 27 years, securing 48 seats in a historic mandate earlier this month and ousting the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) from office. Gupta will be the fourth woman chief minister of Delhi.
On Wednesday evening, Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) V K Saxena invited Rekha Gupta to form the new government.
After being elected as the BJP Legislative Party leader, Gupta met Saxena at Raj Niwas and staked her claim to form the government.
“Leader of the BJP Legislative Party in the Delhi Legislative Assembly, Smt Rekha Gupta, called on Hon’ble LG, Shri V K Saxena at Raj Niwas and staked her claim to form the new Government of NCT of Delhi,” the Delhi LG’s official social media account stated.
It further confirmed, “Hon’ble LG accepted the claim and invited her to form the new government.”
BJP Delhi unit President Virendra Sachdeva was also present at the meeting.
After her election as BJP’s legislative party leader, Gupta expressed gratitude to the party leadership.
“I thank BJP, and I am grateful for the blessings of all of you,” she told reporters.
In a post on X, she wrote, “I express my heartfelt gratitude to all the top leadership for trusting me and entrusting me with the responsibility of the post of Chief Minister. This trust and support of yours has given me new energy and inspiration. I pledge that I will work with full honesty, integrity, and dedication for the welfare, empowerment, and overall development of every citizen of Delhi. I am fully committed to this important opportunity to take Delhi to new heights.”