Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Feb 24: Vijender Gupta, BJP legislator from Rohini, was unanimously elected as the Speaker of the Delhi Assembly on Monday, following his nomination by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. However, moments after his election, the House proceedings were disrupted by AAP legislators, leading to an early adjournment.
The session, conducted by pro-tem Speaker Arvinder Singh Lovely, saw Gupta taking charge as the new Speaker without opposition. However, as soon as he assumed his role, he was met with slogan-shouting from AAP MLAs, particularly during the discussion on the vote of thanks for his election.
In his first address as Speaker, Gupta condemned Leader of Opposition Atishi for attempting to raise an issue without prior approval. Expressing strong displeasure over the disruptions, he warned the Opposition against spreading anarchy and urged for smooth proceedings.
Tensions escalated when Atishi, while congratulating Gupta, alleged that photos of B.R. Ambedkar and Shaheed Bhagat Singh had been removed from the Chief Minister’s Office. Her remarks, made without permission, led to loud protests from BJP legislators, prompting Speaker Gupta to censure her for speaking out of turn. As disruptions continued, he was forced to adjourn the House proceedings.
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and her Council of Ministers took their oath as members of the Legislative Assembly. The first session of the newly elected House commenced with all 70 MLAs being sworn in. The current composition of the Assembly includes 48 BJP legislators and 22 from AAP.
Alongside the Chief Minister, BJP ministers Parvesh Verma, Ashish Sood, Kapil Mishra, Ravinder Singh Indraj, Pankaj Kumar Singh, and Manjinder Singh Sirsa also took their oaths. Atishi and other AAP MLAs followed suit, completing the formalities during the opening session.
With her appointment, Rekha Gupta has become the fourth woman Chief Minister of Delhi, following Sheila Dikshit, Sushma Swaraj, and Atishi. She is also the fourth BJP leader to assume the role, succeeding Madan Lal Khurana, Sahib Singh Verma, and Sushma Swaraj.
The three-day session of the Delhi Assembly commenced with BJP MLA Lovely taking oath as pro-tem Speaker, responsible for conducting proceedings until the election of a permanent Speaker. Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena administered the oath at Raj Niwas, marking the formal beginning of the new government’s tenure.