New Delhi:

Rekha Gupta took oath Thursday afternoon as Chief Minister of Delhi – the fourth woman and fourth Bharatiya Janata Party leader to hold that post. Her nomination late last night followed 12 days of suspense and speculation over whom the BJP might pick to follow Arvind Kejriwal and Atishi.

The answer, when it came, was unexpected.

Ms Gupta, the ex-President of the Delhi University Students’ Union and a first-time MLA from Shalimar Bagh in northwest Delhi, was not the name the BJP was expected to put forward.

She was on the shortlist, yes. Sources did tell NDTV Ms Gupta and all three of the party’s women MLAs were being considered, but all of the talk was about Parvesh Verma, the ‘giant-slayer’.

No-Go For Parvesh Verma

After all, Mr Verma is a two-time Delhi Lok Sabha MP and is the son of former BJP Chief Minister Saheb Singh Verma. He also defeated Arvind Kejriwal for the New Delhi seat, and two of the last three Delhi Chief Ministers – Mr Kejriwal and the Congress’ Sheila Dikshit – won that constituency.

And there were other names seen as ahead of Ms Gupta, including Satish Upadhyay, the party’s Brahmin face, and Vijender Gupta, who was earlier the Leader of the Opposition.

READ | BJP’s Delhi ‘Wapsi‘ Complete, Focus Now On Chief Minister Question

By contrast, Ms Gupta – though one of Delhi’s longest-serving councillors – was a low-key figure.

And it was a surprise, even to her. Ms Gupta told NDTV that when she left her home Wednesday evening, to attend a MLAs meet, she had no idea she would return as Chief Minister.

READ | “Knew When Parvesh Verma…”: Rekha Gupta On Chief Minister News

But the BJP’s pick shouldn’t be a surprise because the party has sprung a few of them in the past few years, most notably in 2023, when it picked three unfancied individuals as chief ministers.

BJP’s 2024 ‘Gameplan’

There were nine full Assembly elections in 2023. The BJP (and/or its allies) won five – Tripura, Nagaland, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan.

Of these, NDPP leader Neiphiu Rio, an ally of the BJP, remained Chief Minister in Nagaland and the party held on to Manik Saha in Tripura. For the other three, two of which (Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh) were flipped from the Congress, the BJP sprang a hat-trick of surprises.

And this is the point – big names were ignored then – Vasundhara Raje in Rajasthan, Raman Singh in Chhattisgarh, and Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Madhya Pradesh – as they were this week, in Delhi.

Instead, Bhajan Lal Sharma was installed in Rajasthan, Vishnu Deo Sai in Chhattisgarh, and Mohan Yadav in Madhya Pradesh. Sources told NDTV this was a calibrated effort by the BJP to balance caste-class demands ahead of the Lok Sabha election, which came six months later.

NDTV Explains | BJP’s 2024 Gameplan Behind Hattrick Of Heartland Surprises

For example, in Chhattisgarh, a state where tribal communities form 32 per cent of the population, the BJP opted for a tribal leader. Madhya Pradesh got a Chief Minister from the Yadav community and Brahmin and Dalit deputies. And Rajasthan got a Brahmin leader and Rajput and Dalit deputies.

Vishnu Deo Sai (R) and Mohan Yadav, the BJP’s surprise picks for Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh (File).

Before and after 2023, i.e., in 2022 and 2024 the BJP opted to retain Chief Ministers, including keeping Nayab Saini in Haryana and restoring Devendra Fadnavis in Maharashtra.

BJP’s Delhi Move

The BJP selecting Rekha Gupta, sources told NDTV, reflects the same balancing act.

The party wanted a Vaishya face as its leader because its first three Chief Ministers – Madan Lal Khurana, Saheb Singh, and Sushma Swaraj – represented the Punjabi, Jat, and Brahmin communities. To that end, Vijender Gupta was an option, but Rekha Gupta ticked a box he couldn’t – gender.

READ | Rekha Gupta Sworn In As Delhi Chief Minister With PM On Stage

Ms Gupta meant the BJP could point to a Vaishya and a woman as its leader.

Over To Bihar?

Ms Gupta’s selection could also be an indication of how things might play out in Bihar, where elections are due this year. At present, Nitish Kumar is Chief Minister even if his JDU is a minority partner. Sources have confirmed the BJP will fight with him as the chief ministerial candidate.

However, should the saffron party come back to power and keep, or even extend its lead over Nitish Kumar, a change is possible.

In that case, the question of who could succeed him arises, and it could be the BJP looks to spring a surprise here too, ignoring senior leaders like ex-Deputy Chief Minister Tarkishore Prasad and ex-Union Ministers Syed Shahnawaz Hussain and Ravi Shankar Prasad in favour of another left-field choice.

Who that might be (assuming, of course, that Nitish Kumar does not remain) will be revealed then.

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New Delhi:

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s Rekha Gupta was sworn in Thursday afternoon as Chief Minister of Delhi in a grand oath-taking ceremony at the city’s Ramlila Maidan.

Ms Gupta becomes the BJP’s fourth Delhi Chief Minister and its second woman leader to hold the post. She is also the fourth woman Chief Minister of Delhi, following from the BJP’s Sushma Swaraj, the Congress’ Sheila Dikshit, and the AAP’s Atishi, her immediate predecessor.

Six of her party colleagues, including Parvesh Verma – who earned himself the ‘giant-killer’ moniker by defeating AAP boss Arvind Kejriwal for the New Delhi constituency, and was widely seen as a frontrunner for the Chief Minister’s chair – were inducted into the cabinet.

Mr Verma was sworn in second, after Ms Gupta, who took her oath with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP President JP Nadda looking on, as too were chief ministers from states ruled by the party and its allies, such as Andhra Pradesh’s N Chandrababu Naidu.

Also featuring prominently were senior members of the union cabinet, such as Rajnath Singh and Hardeep Singh Puri, and members of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.

Kapil Sharma, Manjinder Sirsa, Ashish Sood, Pankaj Kumar Singh, and Ravinder Indraj Singh were also sworn in to the new cabinet, which has room for three more ministers.

READ | Parvesh Verma, Kapil Mishra In Rekha Gupta’s 6-Member Council

The BJP has also nominated former Leader of the Opposition, Vijender Gupta, as the new Speaker of the Delhi Assembly. Mr Gupta returns to the Assembly a decade after he was physically evicted by marshals amid a row with counterparts from the then-ruling AAP.

READ | Thrown Out, Literally, In 2015, BJP’s Vijender Gupta Now Speaker

Ms Gupta, a first-time MLA from Shalimar Bagh, a seat she wrested from the AAP’s Bandana Kumari, who had held it since 2013, was a surprise pick for the top post.

READ | “Came To Know When Parvesh Verma…”: Rekha Gupta On CM News

Confirmation of her appointment came late Wednesday after meetings of the BJP’s Parliamentary Board, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and of the party’s new MLAs.

The meetings had been delayed by nearly two weeks after the poll results, as the party deliberated and, also, waited for Mr Modi to return from his trip to France and the United States.

READ | “Committed To Taking Delhi To New Heights”: Rekha Gupta

In her first remarks after being nominated as Chief Minister, Ms Gupta said she stands committed to “taking Delhi to new heights” and vowed to work with “full honesty, integrity and dedication for the welfare, empowerment and overall development of every citizen of Delhi”.

She also thanked the Prime Minister and the BJP’s top leadership for their faith.

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New Delhi:

With Rekha Gupta set to be sworn in as Chief Minister of Delhi on Thursday afternoon, Manish Gupta, the Chief Minister-designate’s husband expressed his happiness for his wife getting such an opportunity, likening it to a ‘miracle.’

“We never thought that she (Rekha Gupta) would become the Chief Minister of Delhi. It seems like a miracle… It is a matter of happiness for us that the party has given us so much respect,” he told reporters here today.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader and MLA representing the Shalimar Bagh assembly constituency, will be taking oath as Delhi Chief Minister at Ramlila Maidan. Along with her, six other MLAs will take oath as ministers in the cabinet today.

Thanking PM Modi and the BJP party leadership Rekha Gupta said, “Delhi Chief Minister designate Rekha Gupta says, “It is a huge responsibility. I thank PM Modi and BJP high command for having faith in me… I will fulfil my responsibility with utmost honesty… My first priority is to complete all the commitments our party has made, and the second priority is that all our 48 MLAs will work as a team modi. I never thought I would be a CM of Delhi. The previous corrupt government would have to give the account of each rupee belonging to the people.”

The swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected government will take place at 12:15 pm.

Parvesh Sahib Singh. Ashish Sood, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Ravinder Indraj Singh, Kapil Mishra, and Pankaj Kumar Singh are also among the MLAs who will take oath as ministers.

Rekha Gupta will be the fourth woman Chief Minister of Delhi succeeding Aam Aadmi Party’s Atishi. This continues a tradition that has been difficult for other parts of the country to match. Delhi has had women Chief Ministers from the BJP, Congress, and Aam Aadmi Party.

She has served as general secretary of BJP Mahila Morcha in Delhi and as a member of its national executive committee. In these roles, she initiated numerous campaigns for the welfare of marginalized communities and women.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and other Union Ministers and NDA Chief Ministers will attend the swearing-in ceremony.

BJP won 48 seats out of 70 seats, while Aam Aadmi Party could win only 22 seats in the assembly polls held earlier this month. Congress could not open its account for the third successive election.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Delhi will get its ninth Chief Minister in Rekha Gupta on Thursday, becoming only the fourth woman to hold the position in the national capital. Speaking to NDTV, she said the honour is not just for her but for “all the sisters and daughters of this country”.

Ms Gupta asserted that women’s issues will be her priority and had a special message for them: “Their fight for their rights… they will get their rights”.

In the run-up to the Delhi assembly elections, women were at the centre of the BJP’s poll pitch. The party has promised Rs 2,500 monthly aid for women, surpassing AAP’s promise of Rs 2,100, financial assistance of Rs 21,000 for every pregnant woman, LPG cylinders at Rs 500 and also Rs 2,500 pension for senior citizens.

Ms Gupta, 50, also expressed her gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party leadership and the people of Delhi for the responsibility bestowed on her and said every moment of her life will be spent fulfilling it.

“I want to thank PM Modi, BJP high command people of Delhi for giving me this opportunity, after 27 years, a new chapter is beginning. It is a moment of pride for the women in the country. We have staked claim to form the government…each and every commitment of BJP, fulfilling it is the ultimate goal of my life,” she said.

Rekha Gupta, who won from Shalimar Bagh defeating AAP candidate Bandana Kumari by over 29,000 votes and was among the frontrunners for the chief ministership, will take the oath of office at a grand ceremony at the Ramlila ground on Thursday. Top leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his cabinet colleagues and the chief ministers of NDA-ruled states, are expected to attend the oath-taking ceremony.

She was chosen as the Leader of the House in the Delhi Assembly at the BJP legislature party meeting late evening, senior BJP leader Ravishankar Prasad, who along with OP Dhankar was appointed as the party’s two central observers, announced on Wednesday.

Ms Gupta, 50, later met Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena and staked a claim to form the government.

There was no official word from the party whether there would be a deputy chief minister in the BJP government. However, party sources said that in the cabinet, representation will be given to all communities. Delhi can have a maximum of seven ministers including the Chief Minister.

She will also be the fourth Chief Minister from the BJP in Delhi after Madan Lal Khurana, Sahib Singh Verma, and Sushma Swaraj.

The BJP won 48 seats in a historic mandate in the Delhi assembly election earlier this month, ousting the Aam Aadmi Party from power. The Congress failed to open its account.

“Chamkega naam Rekha Gupta. Chamkegii Dilli (The name Rekha Gupta will shine. Delhi will shine),” was the message from the mother-in-law of Delhi Chief Minister-elect Rekha Gupta.

Rekha Gupta, the first-time MLA from Shalimar Bagh, defeated AAP candidate Bandna Kumari by over 29,000 votes in the February 5 Assembly polls. Notably, Ms Gupta contested the Shalimar Bagh seat in both the 2015 and 2020 Delhi elections but was defeated by AAP’s Bandana Kumari in both years.

Parvesh Verma, a top contender for the Delhi post, congratulated Ms Gupta, calling her appointment BJP’s commitment to “nari shakti”.

“For BJP, Nari Shaktikaran is not just a slogan but a commitment to fulfilling women empowerment. Delhi getting a woman Chief Minister is a proof of Modi ji’s commitment towards uplifting Nari Shakti,” said Mr Verma, who defeated Arvind Kejriwal in the polls.

Ms Gupta, 50, who was elected leader by the party’s newly elected MLAs on Wednesday, met Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena and staked a claim to form a government in the national capital.

“Pehle saraa mahaul dekho, baraat Ka mahaul hai. Shaadi ke mahaul se bhi badhia lag raha hai (Look around, see for yourself. The mood is one of baarat. It is better than the mood at a wedding,” said the mother-in-law.

“Khushi ka mahaul hai. Sab kood rahe hain, nach rahe hain (There is an atmosphere of happiness. Everyone is jumping and dancing),” she added.

The mother-in-law also underscored that Ms Gupta was equally adept at household work.

“Woh ghar ka bhi kaam karti thi. Ghar se koi shikayat nahi hai (She also used to do household chores. There are no complaints on the home front),” she stressed.

Manish Gupta, Rekha Gupta’s husband, was equally excited accepting congratulatory messages from an enthusiastic crowd in front of their home.

“Bahut Khush hai, bahut excited hain. Modiji ki jai jaikar ho rahi hai. BJP ki jai jaikar ho rahi hai. Sab wahi celebrate karne ki liye ekatha hue hai. Rekha ji ka intezaar kar rahe hain (We are very happy and excited. Modiji is being praised. BJP is being praised. Everyone has gathered here to celebrate. We are waiting for Rekha ji),” Mr Gupta told NDTV.

New Delhi:

Rekha Gupta, a first-time MLA from Shalimar Bagh, will be the new Chief Minister of Delhi, announced BJP – which returned to power in the national capital after 26 years – this evening. “Committed to taking Delhi to new heights,” said Ms Gupta as she pledged to work with “full honesty, integrity and dedication for the welfare, empowerment and overall development of every citizen of Delhi”. 

Ms Gupta – who was chosen as the Leader of the House in the Delhi Assembly at the BJP legislature party meeting – will take the oath of office at the Ramlila Ground tomorrow. The meeting was attended by all 48 newly-elected BJP MLAs in the presence of central observers Ravi Shankar Prasad and OP Dhankar.

After the announcement, she thanked the central leadership, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and all the BJP MLAs for the responsibility. The 50-year-old will be the fourth woman Chief Minister of Delhi after Sushma Swaraj (BJP), Sheila Dikshit (Congress) and Atishi (AAP).

“I express my heartfelt gratitude to all the top leadership for trusting me and entrusting me with the responsibility of the post of Chief Minister,” Ms Rekha posted on X.

मुझ पर विश्वास कर मुख्यमंत्री पद का दायित्व सौंपने के लिए मैं सभी शीर्ष नेतृत्व का हृदय से आभार व्यक्त करती हूं। आपके इस विश्वास और समर्थन ने मुझे नई ऊर्जा और प्रेरणा दी है। मैं संकल्प लेती हूं कि दिल्ली के हर नागरिक के कल्याण, सशक्तिकरण और समग्र विकास के लिए पूरी ईमानदारी,… pic.twitter.com/eYM6X6ptzn

— Rekha Gupta (@gupta_rekha) February 19, 2025

Several key figures, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, are expected to attend Rekha Gupta’s swearing-in ceremony.

Ms Gupta won from Shalimar Bagh, defeating AAP candidate Bandna Kumari by over 29,000 votes in the February 5 assembly polls.

The BJP – which had been out of power in Delhi since 1998 – won the 2025 assembly elections, winning 48 seats against AAP’s 22 in the 70-member assembly.

Rekha Gupta, a former president of the Delhi University Students’ Union, is the fourth woman Chief Minister of Delhi, the BJP announced Wednesday evening, ending a nearly two-week suspense.

BJP’s Sushma Swaraj, Congress’ Sheila Dikshit, and Aam Aadmi Party’s Atishi have been other women chief ministers of Delhi. 

The 50-year-old, who is a first-time MLA from Shalimar Bagh, defeated AAP candidate Bandna Kumari by over 29,000 votes in the February 5 Assembly polls. Notably, Ms Gupta contested the Shalimar Bagh seat in both the 2015 and 2020 Delhi elections but was defeated by AAP’s Bandana Kumari in both years. 

Ms Gupta will take oath at a grand swearing-in ceremony at the city’s iconic Ramlila Maidan at noon tomorrow. 

“I express my heartfelt gratitude to all the top leadership for trusting me and entrusting me with the responsibility of the post of Chief Minister. This trust and support of yours has given me new energy and inspiration. I pledge that I will work with full honesty, integrity and dedication for the welfare, empowerment and overall development of every citizen of Delhi. I am fully committed to this important opportunity to take Delhi to new heights,” Ms Gupta posted in Hindi on X, shortly after the BJP made the big announcement. 

मुझ पर विश्वास कर मुख्यमंत्री पद का दायित्व सौंपने के लिए मैं सभी शीर्ष नेतृत्व का हृदय से आभार व्यक्त करती हूं। आपके इस विश्वास और समर्थन ने मुझे नई ऊर्जा और प्रेरणा दी है। मैं संकल्प लेती हूं कि दिल्ली के हर नागरिक के कल्याण, सशक्तिकरण और समग्र विकास के लिए पूरी ईमानदारी,… pic.twitter.com/eYM6X6ptzn

— Rekha Gupta (@gupta_rekha) February 19, 2025

Born on July 19, 1974, in Nandgarh village of Jind district in Haryana, Rakha Gupta’s father served as a bank officer. In 1976, the family moved to neighbouring Delhi when she was just two years old.

As a student at Delhi University, Ms Gupta joined the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Her active involvement in student politics led to her election as the President of Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) for the 1996-1997 term. She also served as the Secretary of Dyal Singh College and was deeply engaged in student activism, which propelled her further into public life.

Rekha Gupta’s political career with the BJP began in the early 2000s. She joined the party’s youth wing, the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), and held the role of secretary in the Delhi unit. Ms Gupta’s leadership skills were quickly recognised, and she was appointed the National Secretary of BJYM from 2004 to 2006. Her strong organisational abilities and dedication to the party’s mission helped her gain prominence within the BJP ranks.

In 2007, Ms Gupta was elected as a councillor in the MCD elections, representing the North Pitampura constituency. She went on to serve as the President of the Women’s Welfare and Child Development Committee in MCD from 2007 to 2009. 

She also held several other key positions, including General Secretary of the Delhi BJP Women’s Wing, and National Executive Member of the party.

The BJP returned to power in Delhi after 27 years, winning a two-thirds majority (48 seats), with the ruling AAP suffering major blows and a drastic reduction in its numbers in the 70-member assembly (22 seats). The Congress continued its dismal run as it failed to open its account for the third time in a row.

(With inputs from agencies)
 

New Delhi:

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s guest list for Thursday – when the new Delhi Chief Minister will take his/her oath, 11 days after it won the election – includes gig workers, cab and auto rickshaw drivers, farmers, and chiefs of jhuggis, or slums, sources told NDTV Wednesday afternoon.

Women beneficiaries of the party’s welfare schemes have also been invited; women voters turned out in large numbers in the election this month, and their increasing importance to political parties’ electoral fortunes was underlined by the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party trying to woo them.

As it turned out, it was the BJP’s promises of cash transfers that won.

The invites to rickshaw drivers and farmers is also key, given the former are seen as a strong support base for AAP boss Arvind Kejriwal and the latter has protested with the centre over the MSP issue.

The list of ‘aam aadmi‘ invites, sources said, reflects the BJP’s well-worn ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas‘, or ‘development with all, for all’, pitch, and the desire for an ‘inclusive’ government in the city-state.

The list will, of course, also include a phalanx of high-profile names, including members of the union cabinet, the chief ministers (and their respective deputies) from the nearly two dozen states now ruled by the BJP and its allies, and the party’s Lok Sabha MPs.

In addition, over 50 movie stars and industrialists have been sent invitations. Diplomats from major nations, whose embassies and high commissions dot posh central Delhi, have also been invited.

Invitation card for the swearing-in ceremony of the Delhi Chief Minister

Courtesy invitations have also been extended to Atishi, the outgoing Chief Minister, and Mr Kejriwal, as well as Devender Yadav, the chief of the Congress’ Delhi unit.

Amid the flurry of invitations, who the Chief Minister will be remains a matter of considerable suspense.

READ | Key Meet At PM’s House As BJP Zeroes In On Delhi Chief Minister

The BJP’s Parliamentary Board, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, met at noon to decide on the names of ‘observers’, who will then oversee the meeting of the BJP’s 48 new MLAs at 6.15 pm, at which names of the Chief Minister, members of his/her cabinet, and the Speaker are likely to be finalised.

Grand Swearing-In Ceremony

The oath ceremony – to be held at the city’s iconic Ramlila Maidan – will run from 11 am to 12.34 pm, sources said. The oath itself will be at 12.05 pm.

#WATCH | Preparations underway at Ramlila Maidan ahead of the oath ceremony of the new CM of Delhi.

BJP Legislature Party meeting will be held today. The swearing-in ceremony will be held tomorrow, 20th February pic.twitter.com/k7Kr1Dictm

— ANI (@ANI) February 19, 2025

Sources said three stages will be set up – one for the Prime Minister, Home Minister Amit Shah, Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, and the new Chief Minister, a second for the invited religious leaders, and a third for MPs and MLAs, of whom over 200, from the BJP and allies, have been invited.

Delhi Chief Minister Suspense

Last week NDTV was told a shortlist of 15 names had been finalised, from among the 48 BJP MLAs, to fill the posts of Chief Minister, members of his/her cabinet, and Assembly Speaker.

READ | BJP’s Delhi ‘Wapsi’ Complete, Focus Now On Chief Minister Question

The odds-on favourite for the big post is two-time ex-MP Parvesh Verma, who defeated Arvind Kejriwal to win the New Delhi constituency.

Others likely on the BJP’s chief ministerial shortlist are the party’s Delhi unit leader, Virendra Sachdeva, and Bansuri Swaraj, a first-time MP who is the daughter of the late former Union Minister Sushma Swaraj. Satish Upadhyay, the BJP’s Brahmin face in Delhi, is also an option.

There has also been buzz that the BJP could pick a woman as Chief Minister. Four of the BJP’s new MLAs are women – Neelam Pahalwan, Rekha Gupta, Poonam Sharma, and Shikha Roy.

READ | Delhi’s Next Chief Minister A Woman? Buzz As BJP Brainstorms

And there are caste equations, something which the BJP has historically considered when selecting Chief Ministers; similar delays after wins in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in 2023 are an example.

Delhi Election Result

The BJP swept to power winning 48 of Delhi’s 70 seats.

The AAP, which scored thumping wins in the 2015 and 2020 polls, winning 67 and 62 seats, respectively, flopped this time, winning just 22. The Congress was routed for a third consecutive time.

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New Delhi:

The name of Delhi’s new Chief Minister – the first from the Bharatiya Janata Party in the national capital in nearly three decades – will be announced by this evening, party sources told NDTV Wednesday morning.

The selection process began at noon, when the BJP’s Parliamentary Board – its highest decision-making body – met to decide ‘observers’ for the gathering of newly-elected legislators later today.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi – whose trip to France and the United States delayed the selection process – attended that meeting. The BJP’s MLAs will now meet at 6.15 pm – with those ‘observers’ present – to select their leader in the Assembly, who will become the Chief Minister.

The new Chief Minister will then take his/her oath in a grand ceremony at 11 am Thursday.

The oath ceremony – to be held at the city’s iconic Ramlila Maidan – will run from 11 am to 12.34 pm, sources said. The oath itself will be at 12.05 pm.

Sources also said there will be three stages set up – one for the PM, Home Minister Amit Shah, Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, and the new Chief Minister, a second for invited religious leaders, and a third for MPs and MLAs, of whom over 200, from the BJP and allies, have been invited.

READ | Auto Drivers, Women, Farmers: BJP’s ‘Aam Aadmi’ Guest List

Atishi, the outgoing Chief Minister and AAP boss Arvind Kejriwal have also been invited, as has Devender Yadav, the head of the Congress’ Delhi unit.

Delhi Chief Minister Suspense

Last week NDTV was told a shortlist of 15 names had been finalised, from among the 48 BJP MLAs, to fill the posts of Chief Minister, members of his/her cabinet, and Assembly Speaker.

READ | BJP’s Delhi ‘Wapsi’ Complete, Focus Now On Chief Minister Question

The odds-on favourite for the big post is two-time ex-MP Parvesh Verma, who defeated Arvind Kejriwal to win the New Delhi constituency.

Others likely on the BJP’s chief ministerial shortlist are the party’s Delhi unit leader, Virendra Sachdeva, and Bansuri Swaraj, a first-time MP who is the daughter of the late former Union Minister Sushma Swaraj. Satish Upadhyay, the BJP’s Brahmin face in Delhi, is also an option.

READ | ‘Giant Slayer’, 1st-Time MP: One Of These Could Be Delhi Chief Minister

There has also been buzz that the BJP could pick a woman as Chief Minister. Four of the BJP’s new MLAs are women – Neelam Pahalwan, Rekha Gupta, Poonam Sharma, and Shikha Roy.

READ | Delhi’s Next Chief Minister A Woman? Buzz As BJP Brainstorms

Ms Pahalwan was the first woman MLA from Najafgarh seat, Ms Gupta is the former President of the Delhi University Students’ Union, Ms Sharma won the Wazirpur seat, and Ms Roy emerged as another -giant slayer’, defeating senior AAP leader and Saurabh Bharadwaj for the Greater Kailash seat.

And there are caste equations, something which the BJP has historically considered when selecting Chief Ministers; similar delays after wins in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in 2023 are an example.

FROM OUR ARCHIVES | NDTV Explains BJP’s Hattrick Of Heartland Surprises

Four of the new MLAs are from Scheduled Castes – Raj Kumar Chauhan, elected from Mangolpuri; Ravikant Ujjain from Trilokpuri; Ravinder Indraj Singh from Bawana; and Kailash Gangwal from Madipur.

Delhi Election Results

Suspense over Delhi’s next Chief Minister has been building since the afternoon of February 8, when it became apparent the BJP had scripted a remarkable return to power in Delhi.

Mr Modi’s party – which had been kept at bay in Delhi for 26 years, first by the Congress and then the AAP – swept 48 of the city’s 70 Assembly seats en route to victory.

DELHI ELECTION RESULTS | BJP’s Capital Gain AAP-ends Arvind Kejriwal

For context, the party managed a combined 11 in the two previous Delhi elections.

The AAP, looking to win a third straight term, found itself dragged down by attacks targeting party boss Arvind Kejriwal over the ‘sheeshmahal‘ and liquor excise policy scandals, and won 22 seats.

Again, for context, the party dominated the 2015 and 2020 polls, winning 67 and 62 seats.

The Congress was routed for a third consecutive election.

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