REKHA GUPTA’S GOVERNANCE : PROMISES, CHALLENGES AND EXPECTATIONS

The first assembly election of Delhi was held in 1993, with the BJP emerging victorious and Madanlal Khurana becoming the Chief Minister. In 1998, the Congress won the election and Sheila Dikshit led the government, and due to her developmental work, she continued as the CM for 15 years. In 2013, Congress lost the elections because of anti-incumbency and corruption allegations. The BJP emerged as the single largest party and the Aam Admi Party (AAP), led by Arvind Kejriwal formed the government with the support of Congress. However, this coalition was short lived leading to the President’s rule in Delhi. Kejriwal, who emerged from Anna Hazare’s ‘India Against Corruption’ movement, positioned himself as a common man fighting against systemic corruption, pledging to shun VIP culture and ensure transparency. In the 2015 elections, AAP promised subsidized electricity, free water and various developmental schemes. Frustrated with traditional politics, people voted Kejriwal to power, with AAP winning 67 out of 70 seats with 54.3% vote share. The BJP secured 3 seats and Congress  failed to win any. In the 2020 election, AAP was re-elected and Kejriwal became the CM for the third time. However, due to anti-incumbency and corruption allegations including the Liquor Scam, Sheesh Mahal controversy, and unfulfilled promises, AAP lost miserably and managed to get only 22 seats with 43.6% vote share, in the 2025 elections.

The BJP with its allies won 48 seats with 47.2% votes and returned to power after a long hiatus of 27 years. Rekha Gupta was sworn in as the 9th Chief Minister of Delhi on 20th February, along with six ministers. She is the fourth Woman Chief Minister of Delhi following  Sushma Swaraj, Sheila Dikshit, and Aatishi. 

Rekha Gupta was born in Haryana, graduated from Delhi University, and is a lawyer by profession. She started her political journey as a member of ABVP, and was elected as the President of Delhi University Students’ Union in 1996. She is a three-time Councilor and former Mayor of South Delhi Municipal Corporation. She has also served as the General Secretary of BJP-Delhi, National Vice President of the BJP Mahila Morcha, and has been elected as  the first time MLA from Shalimar Bagh Constituency. Notably, there is no corruption allegation against her.

The BJP’s manifesto made several significant promises, including Rs 2500 monthly for women, LPG cylinders at Rs 500, free cylinders on Holi and Diwali, Rs 21,000 and six nutrition kits to pregnant women, Rs 5 meal canteens, KG to PG free education, 50,000 government jobs, implementation of Ayushman Bharat scheme, insurance for taxi and auto-drivers, cleaning of Yamuna, improving air quality, better roads, electric buses, enhanced education and healthcare services and significantly ‘the continuation of the existing welfare schemes introduced by AAP’.

Implementing these promises will be a great challenge for Rekha Gupta, given the limited financial resources. Freebie culture has evolved into welfarism in modern politics, which can be both good politics and bad economics. The Kejriwal government struggled to undertake developmental projects due to this approach.

The freebie culture began in Tamil Nadu, where K. Kamraj introduced welfare measures such as free education and meals for school students. Later, in 1967, DMK’s founder Annadurai took the culture forward by promising 4.5 kg of rice for Re 1 and in 2006, the same party promised colour televisions to voters. In 2011, AIADMK leader J. Jayalalithaa promised household appliances such as mixers, grinders and fans to women, 20 kg free rice to every BPL family, free laptops to the students of Classes 11th and 12th, and Rs 25,000 along with four-gram gold coin to poor girls on marriage. In 2015, AAP stormed into power in Delhi by offering certain amount of water and electricity free of cost to the people.

The Reserve Bank of India stated that freebies are the provisions for free electricity, water, transportation, waiver of pending electricity bills, loans and such other benefits. Experts feel that freebies disrupt state finances and push governments into a debt spiral. Such schemes may be justified if the state can finance them without burdening the economy. In 2013, the Supreme Court observed, “Budgets for freebies are going above regular budgets, disturbing the level playing field”. The Court also suggested setting up an expert committee consisting of various stakeholders to look into the issues and its impact on the economy and democracy. Prime Minister Modi’s criticism of “revdi culture” in 2022 intensified discussions about the sustainability and the ethical implications of election-driven freebies. In the same year, the Election Commission asked the political parties to provide authentic information on the financial viability of their poll promises. Experts stress the need to shift from competitive populism to fostering meaningful economic opportunities. Some of the parties have not been able to fulfill promises such as reinstating the old pension scheme, which is economically unviable. The recent Union Budget is expected to spend more on pension than on salary. It is amply clear that in the near future, no political will be voted to power without robust welfare promises.

The total Delhi budget for 2024-25 is Rs 76,000 crores, with Rs 11,000 crores allocated to subsidies. The BJP government’s new commitments, including Rs 2500 monthly for women, Rs 21,000 for pregnant women, increased pension to senior citizens, Kissan Nidhi to farmers are in addition to the existing subsidies. While the exact cost of these new initiatives has not been disclosed, estimates suggest it would require approximately Rs 10,000 crores. This would increase total subsidy to over Rs 20,000 crores, necessitating either tax hiking or additional borrowing.

 

The new Chief Minister faces several pressing challenges:

1  Fulfilling Election Promises- The BJP pledged various welfare schemes in its manifesto, notably Rs 2500 monthly to eligible women by March 8, the International Women’s Day and other promises, such as Rs 21,000 to pregnant women, requires meticulous planning and resource allocation. Balancing the introduction of new schemes with maintaining fiscal health is crucial.

2  Addressing Pollution- Delhi’s persistent air pollution exacerbated during winter season, needs comprehensible measures. The administration must tackle vehicular emissions, industrial pollutants, and above all the stubble burning in Haryana and Punjab. Though the pollution is not confined to Delhi only, its problem of entire NCR and, therefore, collective efforts will be required.

3.  Cleaning the Yamuna River- Restoring the heavily polluted Yamuna remains a priority, the government has to initiate a structured plan focusing on waste removal, drain cleaning, and upgrading sewage treatment plants.

4   Improving Infrastructure- Road repairs and sewer de-silting is essential to enhance urban living conditions and prepare for the monsoon season.

5  Managing Water and Electricity Supply- The administration should ensure providing clean drinking water and uninterrupted power supply.

6  Navigating Political Dynamics- As a first time MLA ascending to Chief Minister’s role, she must balance relationships within her party, especially between longstanding members and newcomers to maintain cohesive governance approach. 

Best wishes to Rekha Gupta as she embarks on this challenging journey.

By  Manoj Dubey
Principal (Retd.)
Delhi Public Schools

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