An election landslide gave India’s dominant Hindu-nationalist party control of the capital for the first time in decades, and a member of the party was sworn in as Delhi’s chief minister on Thursday.
Rekha Gupta, 50, of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is the fourth woman to hold the position of chief minister of the vast metropolis, which is home to over 30 million people.
Despite being in power nationally, the BJP has not held sway over Delhi’s municipal legislature since 1998, therefore its resounding win of almost two-thirds of the seats in the February 5 elections was significant from a strategic and symbolic standpoint.
Gupta was chosen for the position by the party. She holds a law degree and started her career in student politics in the city.
