NEW DELHI: Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta, after her first cabinet meeting on Thursday night, allocated portfolios to her ministers while retaining key departments such as finance, revenue, and women and child development under her own charge.
Rekha Gupta holds maximum portfolios in cabinet
With 10 departments under her charge, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta will be the busiest minister in the cabinet. She is followed by Ashish Sood and Kapil Mishra, who have been assigned six portfolios each.
Parvesh Verma will oversee five departments, while Ravinder Indraj Singh and Pankaj Kumar Singh have been given three each.
Apart from finance and planning—considered the most crucial departments in any state—Gupta will also be in charge of services and vigilance. Additionally, she will handle any department not explicitly mentioned in the official notification.
Who got what?
During a press briefing, Gupta revealed that Parvesh Verma will oversee public works, irrigation and flood control, and water resources. Meanwhile, Ashish Sood has been entrusted with home, education, power, and urban development, among others. Notably, Gupta has chosen not to appoint a deputy in her cabinet.
Manjinder Singh Sirsa, the only Sikh minister in the cabinet, will manage industries, environment and forest, and food and civil supplies. Pankaj Kumar Singh has been assigned health, transport, and IT. Kapil Mishra, a former AAP minister in Delhi, will now handle law and justice, labour, employment, tourism, and art and culture.
Ravinder Indraj Singh has been given charge of social welfare, SC/ST welfare, and cooperative affairs. Three-time MLA Vijender Gupta is expected to be the new Speaker of the assembly, while seasoned politician Mohan Singh Bisht is likely to serve as his deputy.
The general administration department confirmed that these allocations were made by the lieutenant governor in consultation with the chief minister.
Know your ministers
Parvesh Verma | 47
Constituency: New Delhi
Defeated: Arvind Kejriwal (AAP) by 4,089 votes
Education: MBA, Fore School of Management
Net Worth: Rs 115.6 crore
Just months ago, Parvesh Verma’s political future was in question after he was denied a Lok Sabha ticket for a third consecutive term from West Delhi. However, he defied expectations by defeating AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal in the New Delhi assembly seat. Son of former Delhi CM Sahib Singh Verma, he first won an election in 2013 from Mehrauli, though the assembly was dissolved within two months. He later transitioned to national politics, securing victories in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Over time, Verma has emerged as a vocal advocate of Hindutva politics, often making headlines for his controversial remarks, especially during the Shaheen Bagh protests.
Manjinder Singh Sirsa | 52
Constituency: Rajouri Garden
Defeated: Dhanwati Chandela (AAP) by 18,190 votes
Education: BA Hons (Punjabi) – 2nd year, Delhi University
Net Worth: Rs 248.9 crore
A key Sikh leader in Delhi politics, Manjinder Singh Sirsa first became an MLA in 2013 on a Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) ticket before switching to BJP in 2021. Formerly the president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, he played a major role in Covid relief efforts, including organising langars, assisting medical staff, and distributing oxygen cylinders. His influence extended to international humanitarian efforts, notably assisting in the evacuation of Hindu and Sikh minorities from Afghanistan during ‘Operation Devi Shakti.’ His induction into the Delhi cabinet is seen as BJP’s move to strengthen its outreach within the Sikh community.
Ashish Sood | 58
Constituency: Janakpuri
Defeated: Praveen Kumar (AAP) by 18,766 votes
Education: B.Com (Hons), ARSD College, Delhi University
Net Worth: Rs 9.2 crore
A first-time MLA, Ashish Sood has long been associated with BJP and its student wing, ABVP. His rise in politics began with his election as DUSU president in 1989. Over the years, he held several leadership roles in BJP, including national secretary of ABVP and vice-president of BJP Yuva Morcha. In 2012, he won a councillor’s seat in South Delhi Municipal Corporation and later became the leader of the House. Currently, he oversees BJP’s affairs in Goa and plays a crucial role in the party’s J&K unit. With a strong network in both BJP and RSS, Sood is a trusted figure within the party.
Kapil Mishra | 44
Constituency: Karawal Nagar
Defeated: Manoj Kumar Tyagi (AAP) by 23,355 votes
Education: MA (Social Work), Delhi University
Net Worth: Rs 1.1 crore
Kapil Mishra’s political career has come full circle. Once a staunch critic of the BJP and a key minister in AAP’s first full-term government, he was expelled from AAP after making corruption allegations against Arvind Kejriwal and Satyendar Jain in 2017. Despite his dismissal, he remained an MLA before officially joining BJP in 2019, where he quickly climbed the ranks to become vice-president of the Delhi unit. Though he lost the 2020 assembly elections, he became a prominent face of Hindutva within the party. He was also accused of making inflammatory speeches during the 2020 Delhi riots. Now, as a minister, he will oversee multiple crucial portfolios.
Ravinder Indraj Singh | 50
Constituency: Bawana (SC)
Defeated: Jai Bhagwan (AAP) by 31,475 votes
Education: BA (Correspondence), University of Delhi
Net Worth: Rs 7.3 crore
Ravinder Indraj Singh has been an active leader in BJP’s Scheduled Caste Morcha. His political background is rooted in family legacy, with his father, Indraj Singh, having served as an MLA from Narela. In this election, he secured a decisive victory over AAP and Congress candidates in the SC-reserved Bawana constituency.
Pankaj Kumar Singh | 47
Constituency: Vikaspuri
Defeated: Mahinder Yadav (AAP) by 12,876 votes
Education: BDS, Magadh University, Bodh Gaya
Net Worth: Rs 6.3 crore
A dentist-turned-politician, Pankaj Kumar Singh began his career as a councillor in 2007 and won re-election in 2012. During his tenure, he was a key member of the standing committee and later served as its deputy chairman. Originally from Buxar, Bihar, Singh now leads BJP’s Poorvanchal Morcha in Delhi.
He has strongly advocated for cleaning the Yamuna river, aligning with BJP’s larger development promises. His wife is also a practising dentist and his father previously held a senior position in the MCD.
With CM Rekha Gupta retaining major departments and her ministers handling diverse portfolios, the new Delhi cabinet is set for an eventful tenure.