Delhi CM Rekha Gupta takes oath as MLA as first session of new assembly begins

Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta and her six cabinet ministers were sworn in as MLAs in the House.

Newly elected MLAs Kapil Mishra (BJP) took oath in Sanskrit, Sanjeev Jha (AAP) in Maithili and Manjinder Singh Sirsa (BJP) in Punjabi.

BJP MLA Arvinder Singh Lovely was sworn-in as the pro-tem Speaker and administered the oath by Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena at the Raj Niwas before the session began.

Gupta was the first to take the oath, followed by her six Cabinet ministers. The remaining MLAs were sworn in thereafter.

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

The election for the new Speaker is set to take place later in the day, with BJP MLA Vijender Gupta likely to assume the position.

CAG reports to be tabled tomorrow

According to the Delhi Assembly bulletin, Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena will address the assembly on February 25, following which the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports will be tabled. Later that day, the assembly will open the floor for the motion of thanks on the LG’s address.

“The most important thing is going to come. We said that we should put the CAG report on the House table in the first session. This is people’s hard-earned money, which the previous government misused. They will have to account for each penny before the people,” the chief minister had said.

Atishi now Delhi assembly’s leader of opposition

On Sunday, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs chose former chief minister Atishi as the Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, PTI reported.

With this, Atishi becomes the first woman to hold the post. AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal was also part of the meeting of the party’s 22 MLAs where Atishi was picked.

In a press conference, AAP’s Delhi unit convenor Gopal Rai said by consensus all AAP MLAs have chosen Atishi as the Leader of Opposition (LoP).

“AAP will show what a strong opposition’s role is in the House and will raise all issues with full force. AAP will ensure that the BJP fulfils all its promises as the party in power. Specifically, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promise to provide ₹2,500 to women in the city by March 8. We promise that we will make the Rekha Gupta-led BJP government fulfil this promise,” Atishi was quoted by PTI as saying.

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The BJP ousted AAP from power in Delhi, winning 48 of the 70 seats in the assembly polls held on February 5. Kejriwal, Sisodia and several top leaders of the party lost their seats in the polls.