NEW DELHI: Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday recalled feeling "as if a movie is on" after being elevated to the top post by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and credited her family for being a "key force" in her success.
"I was not sure what to say or think. It felt as if some reel, some movie, some dream is on and when the eyes open, everything will be normal," Gupta, BJP's second female chief minister in Delhi after Sushma Swaraj, told news agency PTI in an interview.
"I had to pinch myself to be assured it was not a dream after I took oath at the Ramlila Ground in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Then I felt that I am here and I have to do the job of the chief minister," she added.
The BJP leader, the party's fourth CM in Delhi and the first since 1998, further said she was not thinking she would become the chief minister.
"On the contrary, I was thinking what would happen if I became the CM by any chance. I was thinking 'Oh god, just give me what I can handle.' Since then I have been constantly trying to fulfil the responsibility," she stated.
Also Read | ‘Have immense respect for Police’: Delhi CM Rekha Gupta clears air on ‘thulla’ controversy
Asked if there was any phone call from anyone informing her about her impending elevation, she answered in the negative.
"I did not receive any phone call from anyone. The system has changed now...Earlier, people would sit next to the phone waiting for calls and not go anywhere lest they missed it," the national capital's fourth woman chief minister noted.
The BJP returned to power in Delhi after a gap of more than 26 years, winning 48 of the 70 assembly seats in February's assembly election, in which it ended the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) 11-year rule.
After losing the previous two assembly elections (2015, 2020) from the Shalimar Bagh seat to AAP's Bandana Kumari, Gupta was elected as a first-time MLA, winning from the same constituency, defeating her AAP rival with a margin of more than 29,000 votes. She took oath as the chief minister, along with her cabinet, at the historic Ramlila Maidan on February 20.
'Family time has reduced'
Gupta also expressed gratitude to her "big joint family" for their "full support" in her political career. However, she regretted having to cut down on family time since taking office.
"Earlier, I often used to talk to my husband for an hour, but now I have to think even before talking to him for ten minutes, fearing it might be disrupted with some incoming phone call. Now, I am not able to do things like cooking for the family and fulfilling their demands that any housewife normally likes and does. So, family's support and companionship is a big plus that makes you move ahead," the former student leader said.
"Of course, yes. He did a lot for me," she praised her husband.
Born in neighbouring Haryana's Julana, Gupta is a B.Com graduate from Delhi University's Daulat Ram College. She later earned a law degree from Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut, and also practised as an advocate.
"I was not sure what to say or think. It felt as if some reel, some movie, some dream is on and when the eyes open, everything will be normal," Gupta, BJP's second female chief minister in Delhi after Sushma Swaraj, told news agency PTI in an interview.
"I had to pinch myself to be assured it was not a dream after I took oath at the Ramlila Ground in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Then I felt that I am here and I have to do the job of the chief minister," she added.
The BJP leader, the party's fourth CM in Delhi and the first since 1998, further said she was not thinking she would become the chief minister.
"On the contrary, I was thinking what would happen if I became the CM by any chance. I was thinking 'Oh god, just give me what I can handle.' Since then I have been constantly trying to fulfil the responsibility," she stated.
Also Read | ‘Have immense respect for Police’: Delhi CM Rekha Gupta clears air on ‘thulla’ controversy
Asked if there was any phone call from anyone informing her about her impending elevation, she answered in the negative.
"I did not receive any phone call from anyone. The system has changed now...Earlier, people would sit next to the phone waiting for calls and not go anywhere lest they missed it," the national capital's fourth woman chief minister noted.
The BJP returned to power in Delhi after a gap of more than 26 years, winning 48 of the 70 assembly seats in February's assembly election, in which it ended the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) 11-year rule.
After losing the previous two assembly elections (2015, 2020) from the Shalimar Bagh seat to AAP's Bandana Kumari, Gupta was elected as a first-time MLA, winning from the same constituency, defeating her AAP rival with a margin of more than 29,000 votes. She took oath as the chief minister, along with her cabinet, at the historic Ramlila Maidan on February 20.
'Family time has reduced'
Gupta also expressed gratitude to her "big joint family" for their "full support" in her political career. However, she regretted having to cut down on family time since taking office.
"Earlier, I often used to talk to my husband for an hour, but now I have to think even before talking to him for ten minutes, fearing it might be disrupted with some incoming phone call. Now, I am not able to do things like cooking for the family and fulfilling their demands that any housewife normally likes and does. So, family's support and companionship is a big plus that makes you move ahead," the former student leader said.
"Of course, yes. He did a lot for me," she praised her husband.
Born in neighbouring Haryana's Julana, Gupta is a B.Com graduate from Delhi University's Daulat Ram College. She later earned a law degree from Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut, and also practised as an advocate.
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