In a first, Capital has woman CM, LoP
For the first time in the history of the Delhi Legislative Assembly, both ruling government and the opposition will be led by women.
BJP leader Rekha Gupta took charge as the Chief Minister, while AAP leader Atishi has been appointed as the Leader of Opposition (LoP).
Rekha Gupta became the fourth woman Chief Minister of Delhi after BJP’s Sushma Swaraj, Congress’ Sheila Dikshit and AAP’s Atishi.
However, this marks a significant milestone as it is the first instance of a woman leading the opposition in the Delhi Assembly. The AAP, during its legislative meeting on Sunday, officially announced Atishi as its LoP.
Rekha Gupta, despite being a first-time MLA, is no stranger to politics. She began her political journey in student politics and served as the president of the Delhi University Students’ Union in 1996. Over the years, she gained experience as a three-time councillor. However, her path to the Assembly was not easy. She faced defeats in the Shalimar Bagh constituency during the 2015 and 2020 elections. The third attempt proved successful as she triumphed over AAP’s Bandana Kumari with a margin of 29,595 votes.
On the other hand, Atishi made her mark in the Delhi Assembly after winning her first election in 2020. She was later elevated to the Chief Minister’s position in September 2024 for a brief period of 152 days following the resignation of AAP chief and former CM Arvind Kejriwal.
Her appointment as the LoP adds another feather to her cap as she becomes the only second leader in Delhi’s history to transition from Chief Minister to the opposition leader, following Madan Lal Khurana in 1998.
Since AAP has never previously been in the opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Atishi’s appointment makes her the first-ever LoP from the party. Her role will be crucial in leading the party’s strategy against the BJP-led government which came to power after 26 years.
