Delhi's historic Ramlila Maidan turns saffron

SWEARING-IN CEREMONY TOOK PLACE BEFORE AN AUDIENCE OF MORE THAN 50,000

- AIMAN FATIMA

NEW DELHI: Delhi's historic Ramlila Maidan was turned into a sea of saffron as Rekha Gupta took her oath as the 9th Chief Minister of the national Capital, marking the BJP's return to power after a 27-year hiatus.

The grand ceremony, attended by over 50,000 supporters, was an extravagant show of strength, with top BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and other political dignitaries, present to witness the momentous occasion.

Gupta, a first-time MLA from Shalimar Bagh, was formally administered the oath by Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena. The swearing-in ceremony took place before an audience of more than 50,000, with high-profile attendees including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union ministers Amit Shah, J P Nadda, Rajnath Singh, and several other political leaders.

People expressed their excitement by dancing, chanting "Jai Shri Ram," and waving BJP flags.

However, soon after formally taking charge as the ninth CM of the national Capital at the Secretariat, Gupta and her newly sworn-in Cabinet ministers performed a symbolic Yamuna Aarti at Vasudev Ghat, highlighting their commitment to addressing the pollution of the Yamuna River, a key issue in the run-up to the election.