Vijender Gupta elected Delhi Assembly speaker

Three-time BJP MLA Vijender Gupta was elected as the Speaker of the 8th Delhi Assembly on Monday during the first session of the newly constituted House. A senior BJP leader, Gupta has been a vocal opposition figure in the Assembly, often clashing with the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over various issues.

The ruling BJP moved two motions for Gupta’s election—one by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and another by Cabinet Minister Ravinder Indraj. These were seconded by Ministers Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Parvesh Verma and passed by a voice vote. The election process was conducted by protem Speaker Arvinder Singh Lovely. Following the announcement, the Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition escorted the newly elected Speaker to his chair.

Gupta, the 61-year-old Rohini MLA, has been one of BJP’s strongest voices in the Delhi Assembly. As the Leader of Opposition (LoP) from 2015 to 2020, he frequently challenged AAP’s brute majority, often facing expulsion from the House. In June 2015, he was physically lifted and carried out by marshals after demanding the presentation of the 4th Delhi Finance Commission report. In October 2016, he even stood on the Assembly table in protest. More recently, in November 2024, he was once again marshalled out after a heated exchange with AAP legislators over Delhi’s law and order situation.

Despite these challenges, Gupta retained his Rohini constituency for a third consecutive term, defeating AAP’s Pradeep Mittal by over 38,000 votes. Rohini has remained a BJP stronghold, with Gupta emerging victorious even during AAP’s sweeping wins in 2015 and 2020.

Immediately after taking charge as Speaker, Gupta reaffirmed his commitment to upholding democratic values. “I am very much thankful to the party for giving me this responsibility of Delhi Assembly’s Speaker. I will discharge this responsibility effectively,” he told PTI. One of his first promises as Speaker was to ensure the tabling of 14 Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports, which he claimed were withheld by the previous AAP government. Taking a veiled dig at the opposition, Gupta emphasised the importance of maintaining the sanctity of the Assembly. “This House is a temple of democracy, and its dignity must be upheld by all members. I pray for good sense to prevail among those who previously ran the Assembly in an anarchic manner,” he remarked, urging AAP to engage in constructive debates.

Even as the new Assembly session commenced, the opposition AAP ramped up pressure on the BJP government. Former Chief Minister Atishi, along with several AAP MLAs, staged a protest outside the Delhi Chief Minister’s office, demanding the implementation of BJP’s election promise of providing Rs 2,500 in financial aid to women in the capital.

Also Read: Delhi Assembly Election 2025: BJP’s Vijender Gupta defeats AAP’s Pradeep Mittal to retain Rohini seat for a third term

The newly constituted 8th Delhi Assembly comprises 48 BJP MLAs and 22 AAP legislators. The Speaker is elected by the members of the House, and with BJP holding a clear majority, Gupta’s election was a smooth process.

Having started his political journey as a municipal councillor in 1997, Gupta’s rise through the ranks of Delhi’s political landscape has been marked by resilience. Though he lost his first Assembly election in 2013 against Sheila Dikshit and Arvind Kejriwal, he cemented his position in Rohini with consecutive victories in 2015, 2020, and now 2025. With his transition from a fierce opposition leader to the Speaker of the House, all eyes will now be on Gupta as he presides over a politically charged Assembly, balancing governance and opposition demands.