As soon as BJP leaders announced Rekha Gupta as the new Chief Minister of Delhi, celebrations broke out in her native village, Nandgarh, in Jind district, where residents welcomed the news by distributing sweets.
Gupta, who has her roots in Haryana, is the second leader from the state to take the top post in Delhi, following AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini extended his congratulations to Gupta, referring to her as “Haryana’s daughter.” “A new chapter of Delhi’s progress is about to begin. Under the leadership of PM @narendramodi ji and Rekha Gupta ji, Delhi’s development journey will gain new energy and momentum,” he posted on X.
Gupta, 50, hails from Nandgarh village in Julana but moved to Delhi with her family in 1976 when she was just two years old. Her father, Jai Bhagwan, worked as a bank manager in Jind before shifting to Delhi, while her grandfather, Mani Ram, ran a shop in the village and constructed a Shiv temple there. Despite her early move to the capital, the new CM has maintained strong ties with her ancestral village.
A sense of immense pride was palpable among the villagers, who distributed sweets and burst crackers to celebrate Gupta’s historic rise. Women in the village led the celebrations, expressing their joy over their ‘daughter’ achieving such a high position. “This is a proud moment for our village. Rekha Gupta has made us all proud,” said Shakuntala, a resident of Nandgarh.
Former village sarpanch Hari Om Sharma narrated the remarkable story of Praveen’s dedication, revealing that he had vowed not to sit or lie down until Gupta’s victory was ensured. “He barely eats, takes only essential breaks, and has endured severe swelling in his legs. Now, he says he will continue for 19 more days to thank the Almighty,” Sharma said.
Union Minister and former Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal also congratulated Gupta, stating, “Under PM Modi’s guidance and your able leadership, the double-engine government in Delhi will set new records of governance and development.”
Women of the village also expressed their pride, saying it was a matter of great honor that a daughter of their village had become the Chief Minister of the national capital, Delhi. “We will invite her to the village and felicitate her,” they said. Notably, Rekha Gupta hails from Nandgarh village in Jind. She spent the first two years of her childhood in this village before her family moved to Delhi.
