NEW DELHI: With formation of the new government in the national capital with Rekha Gupta at its helm, the Shalimar Bagh constituency from where she emerged victor acquired the rare distinction of matching the New Delhi assembly seat, which has sent two former chief ministers – Sheila Dikshit and Arvind Kejriwal.
Rekha Gupta is only the second representive from the Shalimar Bagh seat who went on to become city chief minister after Sahib Singh Verma, who represented the Shalimar Bagh seat and came to lead the second BJP government in the national capital.
In 1996, Verma defeated Congress’ SC Vats by a margin of nearly 22,000 votes, going on to become the chief minister from February 1996 to October 1998.
Sheila Dikshit, the longest serving chief minister of Delhi between 1998 and 2013, won from the New Delhi seat three times and was CM throughout the period. In 1998 to 2008, she was MLA from Gole Market (New Delhi area) by defeating BJP’s Kirti Azad and in 2008 she defeated BJP’s Vijay Jolly.
The New Delhi constituency again came in limelight when the AAP national convener, Arvind Kejriwal, became chief minister in 2013 by defeating Congress veteran Sheila Dikshit. He then went on to secure victory from the seat in the next two consecutive elections, defeating BJP’s Nupur Sharma in 2015 and Sunil Yadav (the saffron party candidate) in 2020. On both occassions, Kejriwal went on to posit himself as the Leader of the House in the Delhi Assembly.
The AAP supremo held the Chief Minister’s Office till September 2024, when he resigned from the post over the controversy surrounding the alleged Delhi liquor scam.
Kalkaji MLA Atishi took over charge of Delhi CM and served the office till BJP’s Rekha Gupta took oath of office on February 20, 2025.
Interestingly, Sushma Swaraj became Delhi chief minister in 1998 without becoming an MLA. Her tenure was less than two months as the assembly session came to an end before six months of joining office.
Under the constitutional scheme of things, a person can become a minister both in the Union government and in the state without being a MP or state legislature, but he or she has to acquire the membership within six months of assuming the executive office.
Another Delhi CM from BJP, Madan Lal Khurana, served from 1993 to 1996 and was MLA from Sadar Bazar seat. His son Harish Khurana was elected as MLA in 8th Delhi Assembly.