After much delay and postponement, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) finally has picked the new Chief Minister (CM) of Delhi, Rekha Gupta.
A first-time MLA and three-term former councillor the new CM of Delhi has been picked after a lot of speculation on who would be BJP’s pick after they won the majority vote after 26 years in the recently held Delhi Assembly election.
Her appointment though comes with a lot of surprise since there were many more prominent names considered in the running such as Parvesh Verma, Vijendra Gupta and more.
Here we take a look at 5 such reasons why the BJP could have picked her over other major contenders:
1. Female CM
Rekha Gupta joins the line of female CMs that Delhi has witnessed after Sushma Swaraj (October–December 1998), Sheila Dikshit (1998–2013), and Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Atishi. This was reported to contest the constant claims made by the Trinamool Congress that only West Bengal has a woman leader for the state.
Choosing Gupta could also be showcasing BJP’s strategy to gain more women voters in its support. Women voters also reportedly had a big hand in the party’s win in the recently concluded elections, especially after they promised SOPs and monthly financial assistance of Rs. 2,500 for women in its ‘Sankalp Patra’.
It is speculated that the appointment of Rekha Gupta was also to refute any perceptions that the party while relying on females for votes doesn’t give them leadership roles.
2. Unexpected Card
This is not the first time that the BJP has picked a name that was unexpected for the state chief minister’s position. Vishnu Deo Sai was picked in 2023 for Chhattisgarh’s CM while Mohan Yadav was for Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan had Bhajan Lal Sharma.
Usually, these are non-prominent figures, probably to counter any anti-incumbency allegations. It is also said to be creating a link between these candidates and PM Narendra Modi whose journey of going from a tea seller to being the Prime Minister of India is a pretty big message from the party.
Amitabh Tiwari, a political analyst speaking with LiveMint said, “By picking Rekha Gupta, the BJP has not just elevated an unassuming leader which has been its strategy, it has also targetted Arvind Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party by picking up a woman from baniya (trader community) that Kejriwal belongs to. Like Kejriwal, Rekha is also born in Haryana.”
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3. Different From AAP Or Congress
The fact that Rekha Gupta is a woman and a non-prominent figure is a big deviation from AAP and Congress. AAP had a male figure in Arvind Kejriwal who led Delhi for almost 10 years while Congress is often attacked for being into dynasty politics.
This might explain why Gupta was chosen over Parvesh Verma. While Verma defeated Kejriwal in the New Delhi seat during the elections, his father, Sahib Singh Verma, served as the Chief Minister of Delhi from 1996 to 1998. Vijendra Gupta, on the other hand, is a familiar name in Delhi elections, having won the Rohini seat three times over the years.
Rekha Gupta’s female appearance and clean image also seem to contrast with Arvind Kejriwal, who has been embroiled in several controversies, especially in the recent few years.
As per a Financial Express report, “By selecting her as Delhi CM, the BJP has opted for a non-controversial politician, a woman leader, and a fresh face.”
4. Vaishya And OBC Community Outreach
Rekha Gupta was born in Haryana’s Julana and comes from the Baniya community comprised mostly of traders.
This is one community that has been a core voter base for BJP since the Vajpayee-Advani era and according to a BJP leader who spoke with HT “Baniyas have been the backbone of BJP’s Delhi unit. While the government’s policies are inclusive, Gupta’s appointment will further cement that relationship.”
5. RSS Roots
Rekha Gupta has strong Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) connections. Over the three decades, she has gone from being a member of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in 1992, RSS affiliated student wing, to serving as the President of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) from 1996-97.
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: Mint, Financial Express, Zee News
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