BJP MLA and former Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Vijender Gupta, announced on Friday that senior leader Arvinder Singh Lovely would serve as the Pro-tem Speaker of the House.
The Pro-tem Speaker is a temporary position appointed to oversee House proceedings until the election of a full-time Speaker. Lovely’s role will include administering oaths to newly elected MLAs and ensuring the smooth conduct of the Assembly’s initial sessions.
Addressing reporters, Gupta expressed confidence in the new government’s approach, stating that it was moving forward with fresh enthusiasm and a renewed sense of responsibility. “Things are progressing step by step, in line with the aspirations of the people of Delhi. A meeting has already taken place with the Chief Minister to discuss the roadmap for legislative proceedings,” he said.
Gupta also confirmed that the official agenda regarding the Assembly proceedings would be released by the evening, and Lovely would assume the role of Pro-tem Speaker as per procedure.
Also Read: Rekha Gupta takes oath as Delhi Chief minister
This development comes as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) forms a government in Delhi after a gap of over 26 years. Rekha Gupta was sworn in as the Chief Minister at a grand ceremony held at the historic Ramlila Maidan on Thursday. The event saw six ministers take their oath of office, marking a significant political shift in the national capital.
Meanwhile, speculation is rife that Vijender Gupta is likely to be appointed as the full-time Speaker of the Delhi Assembly.
Gupta secured his third consecutive victory in the Rohini Assembly constituency by defeating AAP’s Pradeep Mittal by a margin of 37,816 votes. Rohini has long been a BJP stronghold, with Gupta maintaining his dominance even during AAP’s strong electoral performances in the 2015 and 2020 elections.
A seasoned politician, Gupta has previously served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, president of the BJP’s Delhi unit, a member of the Delhi Development Authority, and chairman of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s (MCD) standing committee.
Born on August 14, 1963, Vijender Gupta is an alumnus of Shri Ram College of Commerce. He started his political career in 1980 with Janata Vidyarthi Morcha and later became president of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha in 1995.
His electoral success started in 1997 when he was elected as a councillor in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). Over the years, he held key positions, including Chairman of the Law & General Purpose Committee and Deputy Chairman of the House Tax Committee. Gupta has been elected three times in municipal elections from Rohini.
Despite a setback in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections against Congress leader Kapil Sibal and a loss to Arvind Kejriwal in the 2013 Delhi Assembly elections, Gupta bounced back in 2015 by winning the Rohini seat and becoming one of BJP’s three victorious candidates that year. He retained the seat in 2020, defeating AAP’s Rajesh Nama ‘Bansiwala’ by over 12,000 votes, and secured another victory in 2025 with the highest winning margin among BJP candidates.
(With inputs from PTI)
