New Delhi is set to witness a major political shift as Rekha Gupta, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) newly elected leader, takes oath as the chief minister along with her six-member cabinet. The Union Home Ministry confirmed in a notification on Thursday that President Droupadi Murmu, acting on Rekha Gupta’s advice, has appointed Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma, Ashish Sood, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Ravinder Indraj Singh, Kapil Mishra, and Pankaj Kumar Singh as ministers in the Delhi government. The swearing-in ceremony will be held at the iconic Ramlila Ground later today, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several other dignitaries.
Among the newly appointed ministers, Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma, a two-time BJP member of Parliament, emerged victorious against Aam Aadmi Party chief and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in the New Delhi seat. A prominent Jat leader in the national capital, Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma is the son of former Delhi chief minister Sahib Singh Verma. He holds a degree from Kirori Mal College, Delhi University, and later pursued an MBA from the Fore School of Management. He is married to Swati Singh, daughter of former Union Minister Vikram Verma, and has three children.
Another significant inclusion in the cabinet is Kapil Mishra, a former Aam Aadmi Party leader who switched to the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2019. Having won the Karawal Nagar seat, Kapil Mishra previously served as Delhi’s water resources minister in Arvind Kejriwal’s cabinet before being removed in 2017. His political journey has been marked by controversy, including allegations of making hate speeches during the 2020 Delhi riots.
Manjinder Singh Sirsa, the Sikh face of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Delhi, secured victory from the Rajouri Garden seat. A three-time MLA, Manjinder Singh Sirsa was formerly associated with the Shiromani Akali Dal before joining the Bharatiya Janata Party. His inclusion in the cabinet highlights the party’s attempt to strengthen its outreach within the Sikh community in the capital.
Ashish Sood, a senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and a first-time MLA from Janakpuri, represents the Punjabi community in the capital. Having previously served as vice president of the party’s Delhi unit, Ashish Sood also holds the role of Bharatiya Janata Party’s in-charge for Goa and co-in-charge for Jammu and Kashmir.
Pankaj Kumar Singh, a first-time legislator from Vikaspuri, is a Purvanchali leader and a dentist by profession, symbolizing the Bharatiya Janata Party’s growing engagement with Delhi’s large Purvanchali voter base.
Meanwhile, Ravinder Indraj Singh, who won the Bawana (SC) seat by a significant margin of over 31,000 votes, will be representing the Dalit community in the new cabinet. He has also served as an executive member of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Scheduled Caste Morcha.
The formation of Rekha Gupta’s government marks a new chapter in Delhi politics, with the Bharatiya Janata Party securing a stronghold in the capital after years of Aam Aadmi Party’s dominance. The grand oath-taking ceremony later today is expected to set the tone for the party’s governance in the national capital.
