First Session of Delhi Assembly Begins, CM Rekha Gupta and Ministers Sworn In

The newly constituted Delhi Assembly held its first session on Monday, marking the beginning of a new legislative term. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and her six cabinet ministers took the oath as MLAs in the House.

Among the newly elected members, BJP MLA Kapil Mishra took his oath in Sanskrit, AAP’s Sanjeev Jha in Maithili, and BJP’s Manjinder Singh Sirsa in Punjabi.

BJP MLA Arvinder Singh Lovely was sworn in as the pro-tem Speaker. Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena administered his oath at the Raj Niwas. Gupta was the first to be sworn in, followed by her cabinet ministers, and then the remaining MLAs.

The proceedings commenced with legislators singing Vande Mataram. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva was present in the Speaker’s gallery to witness the session.

Speaker Election and CAG Reports

Later in the day, the Assembly will elect a new Speaker, with BJP MLA Vijender Gupta expected to assume the role.

According to the Delhi Assembly bulletin, Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena will address the House on February 25, after which the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports will be tabled. A motion of thanks at the LG’s address will follow.

Speaking about the upcoming CAG report, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta emphasized transparency, stating, “The most important thing is coming. We insisted that the CAG report be tabled in the first session. The previous government misused the people’s hard-earned money, and they must account for every penny.”

Atishi Becomes Delhi’s First Woman Leader of Opposition

In a significant development, AAP MLAs elected former Chief Minister Atishi as the Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, making her the first woman to hold the position. AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal was present during the selection meeting, where the party’s 22 MLAs unanimously chose her.

AAP’s Delhi unit convenor, Gopal Rai, reaffirmed the party’s commitment to strong opposition, stating, “AAP will ensure the BJP government fulfills all its promises, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pledge to provide ₹2,500 to women in Delhi by March 8.”

The BJP secured a decisive victory in the February 5 assembly elections, winning 48 of the 70 seats, thereby ending AAP’s rule in Delhi. Several top AAP leaders, including Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, lost their seats in the polls.