Delhi portfolios: CM Rekha Gupta keeps key economic depts; who got what

BJP formed its government in Delhi after 27 long years, following their victory in the recently-concluded Delhi Assembly Elections. Rekha Gupta was sworn in as the chief minister, along with six other ministers in the Ramlila Ground on Thursday.

CM Rekha Gupta kept a total of 10 portfolios including finance, services, vigilance, revenue, and women and child development, planning, information and public relations, land and building, general administration, and administrative reforms departments. She will also be responsible for any other department not allocated to other ministers.

She announced the allocation of portfolios in a press conference after the Cabinet meeting, and stated that 14 pending CAG reports will be tabled in the first session of the Delhi Assembly. 

Her colleague from the party, Parvesh Verma, was allotted PWD, water, legislative affairs, irrigation and flood control, and gurdwara elections portfolios, while Ashish Sood got home, power, education, and urban development, higher education, training and technical education. 

Manjinder Singh Sirsa was allocated food and supplies, forest and environment, and industries, while Ravinder Singh (Indraj) was allocated social welfare, SC & ST welfare, cooperative, and elections. 

Kapil Mishra, the party's hardline Hindutva face, was given law & justice, labour department, employment department, development, art & culture, language department, and tourism department. 

Pankaj Kumar Singh was allocated health and family welfare, transport, and information technology.

After the oath-taking ceremony, Gupta, the first-time legislator from Shalimar Bagh, stated that not a single day will be wasted in realising the mission of 'Viksit Delhi'. She assured that the new BJP government will fulfil all the promises made to the people of the national capital.

The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, top BJP leaders, and NDA allies. 

Gupta is Delhi's fourth woman chief minister, following her party's Sushma Swaraj, Congress' Sheila Dikshit, and AAP's Atishi. The 50-year-old chief minister, who assumed office at the Delhi Secretariat in the afternoon, is also the only woman in the NDA team of chief ministers and the second in the country after TMC leader Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal.