Rekha Gupta took charge as Delhi’s Chief Minister in February 2025, becoming the fourth woman to hold the position. Her appointment followed the Bharatiya Janata Party’s victory in the assembly polls, where she contested and won from the Shalimar Bagh constituency by nearly 30,000 votes.
Born in Haryana in 1974 and raised in Delhi, Gupta studied commerce at Daulat Ram College, part of the University of Delhi, before completing a law degree from Chaudhary Charan Singh University in Meerut. Her political career began in the early 1990s with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the student wing of the BJP. She went on to serve as Secretary of the Delhi University Students’ Union (1995–96) and later as its President (1996–97).
Gupta entered civic politics in 2007, when she was elected as a councillor from North Pitampura. She was re-elected in 2012 and went on to serve in key roles, including as Mayor of South Delhi Municipal Corporation and chairperson of the Women and Child Development Committee. Within the BJP, she held positions such as General Secretary of the Delhi unit and Vice President of the party’s national women’s wing.
As Chief Minister, Gupta has announced a series of initiatives. In June 2025, her government launched Ayushman Arogya Mandirs and Jan Aushadhi Kendras, which are positioned as replacements for the previous mohalla clinics. In August, the Delhi Assembly held its first fully paperless session under her leadership. Her government also secured central funding of over ₹800 crore for infrastructure and public service projects.
Rekha Gupta’s elevation reflects both her long presence in Delhi politics and her party’s renewed strength in the capital.
A demolition drive was carried out under heavy police deployment in Delhi's Shalimar Bagh area to facilitate an ongoing road-widening project leading to Max Hospital. Civic authorities deployed bulldozers late at night to demolish parts of Madina Masjid along with several adjoining residential structures identified as encroachments. Civic agencies stated that notices had been issued prior to taking down the structures to clear the road. However, the mosque committee claimed that multiple notices were served in rapid succession without adequate time to respond. AIMIM Delhi State President Shoaib Jamati arrived at the site, terming the overnight demolition unconstitutional and drawing comparisons to a previous incident in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Local residents also expressed dismay over the action taken in the constituency. Demolition operations have currently been halted and bulldozers removed from the location.
The Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls has triggered controversy across West Bengal and Delhi. In West Bengal, over 37 lakh appeals remain pending before tribunals following the deletion of approximately 27 lakh voters. Based on the Election Commission of India's affidavit before the Supreme Court, disposing of this massive backlog at the current monthly pace of around 25,238 cases could take nearly 12 years. To accelerate hearings, the poll panel has sought to increase the number of appellate tribunals from 19 to 42. Meanwhile, in Delhi, 33.3 lakh voters have received revision notices over discrepancies such as unmapped records from the 2002 voter list, name mismatches, and age differences. High-profile figures, including Union Ministers, former and current Chief Ministers, and senior officials, have received notices. The Election Commission clarified that issuing a notice does not equate to deletion, ensuring that no name will be removed without a hearing, while the opposition alleges large-scale voter exclusion.
Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and four of his family members have been served electoral roll verification notices under the unmapped with last Special Intensive Revision category. The Election Commission issued notices due to incomplete enumeration forms and unlinked details from the last revision roll. Kejriwal stepped up his attack on the exercise, alleging millions of missing names from the draft voter list. Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta's details were flagged for a discrepancy during the process and subsequently validated after physical verification by the Booth Level Officer. The notice disposal process must be completed by October 29.
Among those seen travelling together were Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Municipal authorities in Delhi initiated demolition drives against unsafe buildings and imposed regulatory curbs on paying guest accommodations after a building collapse in Satya Niketan resulted in seven fatalities.
Following the building collapse in Delhi's Satya Niketan that claimed seven lives, including five students, authorities have launched demolition drives against unsafe and unauthorised structures across Satya Niketan, Uttam Nagar, Pandav Nagar, and Nehru Vihar. Police have arrested five people so far, including building owner Hariram Gupta, his family members, PG operator Sudhanshu, and labour contractor Sanoj. Additionally, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced stricter regulations for PG accommodations, including mandatory registration, rent caps, area-wise rent bans, a security deposit ceiling of three months' rent, mandatory CCTV cameras, and night guards for facilities housing over fifteen students.
Following a fatal boys' PG building collapse in Delhi's Satya Niketan that claimed seven lives, the Delhi government and Municipal Corporation of Delhi launched demolition drives against unauthorised constructions in Uttam Nagar, Pandav Nagar, Laxmi Nagar, and Nehru Vihar.
Following the collapse of a paying guest accommodation in Satya Niketan that killed seven Delhi University students, the Delhi government and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi have initiated widespread enforcement actions. Five individuals, including the building owner Hariram Gupta, his family, and PG operators, have been arrested in connection with the incident. Civic authorities have launched phased demolition drives targeting unsafe, dilapidated, and unauthorised structures in Satya Niketan, Pandav Nagar, Laxmi Nagar, Mukherjee Nagar, and Nehru Vihar. In Pandav Nagar, an illegal fifth floor is being demolished following repeated violations, while an unauthorised tilted structure in Laxmi Nagar is being brought down with jack supports. Alongside the demolition and sealing drives, the government has announced strict regulations for PG accommodations. The new rules mandate official registration, area-wise rent caps, a maximum security deposit limit of three months, and compulsory CCTV cameras and night guards for facilities housing more than 15 students.
This special episode of To The Point with Preeti Choudhry covers the aftermath of the Satya Niketan building collapse in Delhi that killed seven people, highlighting the acute accommodation crisis facing Delhi University students.
Political tensions surged in the Tamil Nadu Assembly following controversial remarks and gestures by Chief Minister Vijay referencing the 1975 Emergency, MISA, corruption allegations, and the Sarkaria Commission.
Following a building collapse in Delhi's Satya Niketan, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has initiated structural audits and surveys of illegal paying guest (PG) accommodations. Teams are inspecting student residential clusters, including Laxmi Nagar, Vishwas Nagar, Mukherjee Nagar, Indira Vihar, Patel Chest, and Malviya Nagar. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta visited injured survivors in the hospital and ordered structural audits across all existing PGs in the capital. The audits aim to assess building character and identify structural flaws or leakages for remedial action. The move comes amid scrutiny over municipal oversight, as the area had previously witnessed a building collapse four years prior without adequate preventive measures being taken by the civic authorities.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta visited the AIIMS Trauma Centre to meet the injured students and workers following a building incident. Addressing the media, she stated that out of 12 people brought in, seven lost their lives, while five individuals, including students and a labourer, were undergoing treatment. She confirmed meeting the victims' families, assuring them of top-quality medical care, full government support, and financial assistance. The Chief Minister also noted that adjoining unsafe structures have been declared dangerous and are slated for demolition. Authorities have ordered structural audits across Delhi areas including Satya Niketan, Rajendra Nagar, and Mukherjee Nagar to inspect paying guest accommodations and hazardous buildings to prevent future incidents.
A report from Delhi's Satya Niketan highlights ongoing civic negligence following a recent building collapse that claimed seven lives on 6 September. The incident occurred barely two hundred metres away from the site of an under-construction building collapse four years ago, where two workers died. Debris from the earlier collapse remains untouched, with visible iron rods and half-constructed structures still present on site. Despite building norms being flouted and safety protocols ignored, accommodation boards continue to advertise rooms for rent in the student hub. While authorities have suspended five officers and announced safety audits for buildings and paying guest accommodations, questions remain regarding municipal oversight and long-term accountability.
Following the building collapse in Satya Niketan, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta visited the AIIMS Trauma Centre to meet the injured victims and review their ongoing medical treatment. The tragedy has resulted in seven deaths, while six critical victims out of thirteen rescued individuals remain hospitalised under medical care. In response to the incident, strict accountability measures were enforced, including the suspension of five municipal officials ranging from Junior Engineers to senior-level officers. Actions have also been taken concerning administrative oversight, including previous transfers linked to civic incidents. To prevent further structural mishaps, the Delhi government has ordered comprehensive structural audits of all paying guest accommodations operating across various areas of the capital, ensuring strict compliance and safety standards for residents.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta is scheduled to visit the building collapse site in Safdarjung and the AIIMS Trauma Centre to assess the condition of injured students and workers. Seven people, including five students, died in the collapse that occurred on 6 September, while four injured individuals remain admitted for treatment. Rescue operations by multiple agencies, including the NDRF, Delhi Police, and MCD, have concluded, with authorities now conducting safety audits of surrounding buildings that developed cracks.
A building collapse in Delhi's Satya Niketan claimed the lives of seven students, prompting Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta to order structural audits of paying guest accommodations across key student hubs. The areas under scrutiny include Mukherjee Nagar, Rajendra Nagar, Laxmi Nagar, Satya Niketan, and Saket. Citywide inspections will assess structural stability, and unsafe properties will face sealing. The deceased students from Delhi University colleges include Arpit George, Akshat Yadav, Yuvraj Soni, Abhishek Kumar, and Pawan Kumar. An India Today ground check near the disaster site revealed severe hazards, including an adjacent tilted building supported merely by iron pillars, narrow lanes, webbed overhead wiring, lack of emergency exits, and multi-storey hostels constructed illegally on compact plots.
Following the collapse of a paying guest accommodation in Satya Niketan, Delhi authorities arrested the building owner Hariram Gupta, his wife Urmila Gupta, and their son Mahesh Gupta. During interrogation, officials learned the building collapsed while renovation work was being carried out in the basement. A 24-hour rescue operation rescued twelve individuals, including nine students and three labourers, while seven people were declared brought dead at the hospital. In response, five Municipal Corporation of Delhi officials, including a Deputy Commissioner and a Superintending Engineer, have been suspended. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced structural audits of existing PG buildings, a review of PG regulations, and plans to explore student accommodation options, including vacant Delhi Development Authority housing.
Following the Satya Niketan building collapse, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has ordered immediate structural audits of all paying guest accommodations across the national capital. The safety crackdown focuses on densely populated student and coaching hubs, including Mukherjee Nagar, Rajendra Nagar, Lakshmi Nagar, Satya Niketan, and Saket. Municipal and government enforcement teams will inspect premises for unauthorised construction, poor ventilation, structural weaknesses, and inadequate fire safety measures. The Delhi government and municipal authorities have warned that PG operators violating safety norms face strict action, including financial penalties, sealing of premises, or the cancellation of commercial permissions.
Following the building collapse tragedy in Satya Niketan, Delhi has moved to tighten safety rules for paying guest accommodations across the capital. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has ordered structural audits and strict safety checks for all existing PGs in Delhi after visiting the site of the incident. The authorities will place a special focus on densely populated student accommodation hubs with cramped, clogged lanes, including Mukherjee Nagar, Rajinder Nagar, Laxmi Nagar, Satya Niketan, and Saket.
Rescue operations have ended at the site of the five-storey PG building collapse in Delhi’s Satya Niketan, with the toll rising to seven. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta ordered administrative action, following which five MCD officials, including a deputy commissioner, were suspended. Police also arrested the building’s owner, Hariram Gupta, his wife Urmila and their son Mahesh. The Delhi High Court, meanwhile, sought a high-level investigation into possible lapses by civic authorities and the university. Student representatives from the ABVP and NSUI flagged poor infrastructure, fire-safety violations, illegal alterations and steep rents at private accommodations. They said Delhi University has only around 7,000 hostel seats for nearly seven lakh students. Separately, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told a defence conclave that the armed forces would deliver a decisive response to cross-border terrorism.
