Rekha Gupta assumes office as Delhi's ninth Chief Minister

Rekha Gupta Takes Oath as Delhi's Ninth Chief Minister Amidst Hope and Challenges

The capital witnessed a moment of history today as Rekha Gupta, a seasoned politician and grassroots leader, took oath as Delhi's ninth Chief Minister in a ceremony brimming with emotion and anticipation. Against the backdrop of Raj Niwas' colonial-era architecture, the 54-year-old leader raised her right hand and swore to serve the people of Delhi, her voice steady but her eyes glistening with unshed tears. The moment marked not just a personal milestone for Gupta but a potential turning point for a city grappling with pollution, inequality, and infrastructure woes.  

Clad in her trademark white saree with a blue border—a sartorial nod to her party's colors—Gupta cut a striking figure amidst the sea of politicians and bureaucrats. What set the ceremony apart, however, was the unprecedented turnout of ordinary citizens who spilled out onto the roads surrounding the venue. Street vendors, schoolteachers, and homemakers stood shoulder-to-shoulder, their cheers occasionally drowning out the formal proceedings. Many held up handmade posters with messages like "Didi Hamari Asha" (Our Hope) and "Aam Aadmi ki Sarkar" (Common People's Government).  

Gupta's journey to this podium reads like a political fairytale. Born to a factory worker and a seamstress in West Delhi's Nangloi neighborhood, she first made her mark as a fiery student union leader at Delhi University. Those who knew her then recall a young woman who would cycle from one protest to another, her dupatta perpetually slipping off her shoulders in her hurry to get things done. Her transition to mainstream politics came through the municipal corporation, where she earned a reputation for showing up unannounced at garbage dumps and sewage overflow sites, not just for photo-ops but to supervise cleanup operations personally.  

In her inaugural speech, delivered without notes, Gupta spoke with a rare blend of political pragmatism and personal vulnerability. "When I was twelve," she shared, "my mother would send me to collect water from the colony tap at 3 AM because that's when the pressure was enough to fill our buckets. Today, as I stand here, I can still feel the weight of those buckets in my arms." This anecdote segued into her boldest promise—a guarantee of 24/7 water supply to every Delhi neighborhood within two years, a pledge that drew thunderous applause.  

The new CM faces a labyrinth of challenges that would daunt even the most experienced administrator. Delhi's toxic air, which turns into a deadly smog blanket every winter, tops her inbox, followed closely by the housing crisis that forces millions to live in slums without basic amenities. Her opponents have been quick to point out that she's inheriting a nearly empty treasury, with the previous government having splurged on populist schemes in its final months. Yet, what Gupta may lack in fiscal resources, she makes up for in political capital—her approval ratings currently hover at an unprecedented 68%, according to a recent poll by the Delhi Citizens' Forum.  

Perhaps the most telling moment of the day came after the formalities ended. As Gupta stepped out to greet the crowds, she spotted a group of sanitation workers who had been her earliest supporters. Ignoring her security detail's protests, she walked up to them, touched their feet in a traditional gesture of respect, and then—in a move that sent social media into a frenzy—sat down on the pavement to share their box of homemade sweets. The image of Delhi's new Chief Minister sitting cross-legged on the dirty sidewalk, laughing as a worker fed her a jalebi, may well become the defining visual of her administration's promise to stay connected to its roots.  

As dusk fell over the capital, the real work began. Gupta's first order as CM was to convene an emergency meeting to prepare for the impending pollution season. Meanwhile, in the narrow lanes of Nangloi, her childhood neighbors strung up marigold garlands and burst firecrackers, their faces glowing with pride. "She still comes for tea whenever she's in the area," boasted 72-year-old Shanti Devi, Gupta's former neighbor. "Now let's see if she can serve the whole city with the same warmth." The hopes of 20 million Delhiites now rest on whether this daughter of the city can translate her intimate understanding of their struggles into transformative governance.