The first session of the newly elected Delhi Assembly started on Monday. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and her six cabinet ministers took their oaths as MLAs.
Arvinder Singh Lovely Sworn in as Pro-tem Speaker
BJP MLA Arvinder Singh Lovely became the pro-tem Speaker. Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena administered his oath at Raj Niwas before the session started.
Newly elected MLAs took their oaths in different languages. BJP’s Kapil Mishra chose Sanskrit, AAP’s Sanjeev Jha took his in Maithili, and BJP’s Manjinder Singh Sirsa used Punjabi. Gupta took her oath first, followed by her ministers and other legislators.
The session began with members singing Vande Mataram. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva watched from the Speaker’s gallery.
Speaker Election Scheduled for Later
The assembly will elect its Speaker later in the day. BJP MLA Vijender Gupta is the frontrunner for the position.
Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena will address the House on February 25. After his speech, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports will be presented. The assembly will then discuss the motion of thanks for the LG’s address.
Chief Minister Calls for Accountability
Chief Minister Gupta stressed the importance of presenting the CAG report. She said, “This is people’s hard-earned money, which the previous government misused. They will have to account for each penny before the people.”
Atishi Becomes First Woman Leader of Opposition
On Sunday, AAP MLAs appointed Atishi as the Leader of Opposition, making her the first woman to hold the post. AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal attended the meeting where all 22 AAP MLAs chose her unanimously.
Atishi promised that AAP would act as a strong opposition. “We will ensure the BJP fulfills all its promises, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to providing ₹2,500 to women in the city by March 8,” she said.
BJP Ends AAP’s Rule
The BJP won 48 out of 70 seats in the February 5 assembly elections, removing AAP from power. Key AAP leaders, including Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, lost their seats.
