Rekha Gupta, a first-time BJP legislator, was on Thursday sworn in as the Chief Minister of Delhi at the head of a seven-member ministry, marking the return of the saffron party to power in the national capital after 27 years.

Gupta and her six Cabinet colleagues were administered the oath of office and secrecy by Lt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena at a grand ceremony at the historic Ram Lila Maidan, attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, top BJP leaders and NDA chief ministers.

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The six ministers are: Mr Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma, Ashish Sood, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Ravinder Indraj Singh, Kapil Mishra, and Pankaj Kumar Singh. Mr Mishra, the newly-elected legislator from Karawal Nagar, was a minister in the first Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government. He later resigned from the AAP after falling out with the party leadership over the corruption issue and joined the BJP.

Gupta, the 50-year-old legislator from Shalimar Bagh, is the fourth woman Chief Minister of Delhi. Sushma Swaraj (BJP), Sheila Dikshit (Congress), and Atishi (AAP) are the other women who have led the governments in Delhi.

Gupta, who represents the strong Bania community in the national capital, was elected from the Shalimar Bagh Constituency in the recently held assembly elections. Her selection to the top post reflects the party leadership’s commitment to women empowerment. It is also seen as another move by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to spring surprises when it comes to naming party chief ministers.

Shortly after the swearing-in ceremony, the PM wrote on ‘X’, ”Congratulations to Smt. Rekha Gupta Ji on taking oath as Delhi’s Chief Minister. She has risen from the grassroots, being active in campus politics, state organisation, municipal administration, and now MLA as well as Chief Minister. I am confident she will work for Delhi’s development with full vigour. My best wishes to her for a fruitful tenure.”

He also congratulated the six new ministers in another social media post by writing, ”Congratulations to Shri Parvesh Sahib Singh Ji, Shri Ashish Sood Ji, Sardar Manjinder Singh Sirsa Ji, Shri Ravinder Indraj Singh Ji, Shri Kapil Mishra Ji and Shri Pankaj Kumar Singh Ji on taking oath as Ministers in the Delhi Government. This team beautifully mixes vigour and experience, and will surely ensure good governance for Delhi. Best wishes to them.”

Verma, who defeated AAP Supremo Kejriwal in the New Delhi constituency in the Assembly elections, was seen as a potential candidate for the chief ministership. Son of former Chief Minister Sahib Singh, Verma has become a minister in the new government.

Sirsa, who won from the Rajouri Garden seat, also represented the constituency in the 2017 Delhi by-elections. His website reads, “A committed Indian Sikh to work for my community, nation and humanity.” He is also BJP’s national secretary.

Sood, a popular Punjabi face of the BJP, secured a commanding win in the Janakpuri constituency, defeating AAP’s Rajesh Rishi by 18,766 votes. He shares strong ties with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)  and is recognised for his organisational abilities and held key positions in the party, including councillor, Leader of the House in South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), and more recently, BJP’s Goa in-charge and co-incharge for Jammu and Kashmir.

Ravinder Indraj Singh won the Bawana (SC) assembly seat in the Delhi assembly elections by more than 31,000 votes. His father Indraj Singh was also an MLA from the Narela constituency. As a prominent Dalit leader, Singh is an executive member of the BJP’s Scheduled Caste Front.

Pankaj Singh is a dentist by profession. He has been quite active in Delhi’s politics. He has held various responsibilities in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). His father Raja Mohan Singh was a former MCD commissioner. Before becoming an MLA, Pankaj Singh also served as a ward councillor.