At Ramlila Maidan, wishlist for new CM: ‘Want inflation to be controlled… better roads’
Several attendees expressed hope that the new government will deliver better amenities and infrastructure.
5 min read
By noon, thousands gathered to witness the oath-taking ceremony. (Express Photo/Tashi Tobgyal)As early as 9 am on Thursday, a steady stream of people, waving saffron flags and donning matching caps and pagdis — all emblazoned with the BJP’s symbol, the lotus — made their way to Ramlila Maidan, swaying to bhajans playing on loudspeakers. The route to the ground was lined with towering cutouts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP national president JP Nadda while roundabouts and electricity poles were adorned with party flyers and banners.
Inside the venue, musical performances welcomed attendees. A group of teenage boys dressed in black played dhols, while a Haryanvi troupe in blue kurtas and saffron pagdis kept the beats alive with their dhols and French horns. A Tamil Nadu band, clad in white kurtas and mundus, played urumis — hourglass-shaped drums native to the region. Meanwhile, nagada players attracted a throng of supporters to dance to its tunes, including Rajasthani folk performers wearing colourful tribal face masks.
By noon, thousands gathered at the iconic ground, known for its annual Ramlila melas and landmark political rallies, to witness a political milestone — the swearing-in ceremony of Delhi’s new Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and her Cabinet. Through this, the BJP officially took over the reins of the national capital after 27 years following its massive win in the Delhi Assembly polls.
Newly sworn-in Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and the six ministers during Yamuna aarti at Vasudev Ghat, Thursday. (Photo: Gajendra Yadav)
A huge stage was set in the middle of the ground, where dignitaries, including ministers administering the oath and the Prime Minister, were seated. On the right side of the main pavilion, a smaller stage was set for a band of vocalists singing patriotic songs and bhajans. A singer in a saffron kurta announced, “Aapni deshbhakti ki sanskriti ko aage badhane ke liye ek khoobsurat sa bhajan aap sabhi ke liye (We present to you a devotional song to continue the tradition of patriotism). The audience responded enthusiastically as he launched into melodious renditions of “Ram Aayenge Toh Aangan Sajayungi” and “Shri Ram Janaki Baithe Hai Mere Seene Mein.”
After the Cabinet ministers entered one after another, CM Gupta arrived, clad in an orange saree with a lotus broach pinned on her pallu. With folded hands, she took the stage and greeted party leaders with a wide smile. After she took the oath, the ministers followed. Most of them ended their oath with chants of “Jai Shri Ram”.
Several attendees expressed hope that the new government will deliver better amenities and infrastructure.
Delhi leaders and MPs at the oath-taking ceremony on Thursday. (Photo: Amit Mehra)
Kishan Singh, who hails from Rajasthan’s Baran village and has been a resident of Delhi for the past 15 years, said, “We want inflation to be controlled, I do not aspire for freebies but employment is a must, this is the hope with which I had voted for this government.”
Hari Ram from Nawada in Bihar, who has lived in Tughlakabad for the past 25 years, said, “I aspire for better roads… it takes almost an hour to reach places, which normally should take 20 minutes… between Lado Sarai and Chhattarpur, the road is broken and between a 600-metre-long stretch, there are at least five traffic lights… I hope this improves because my work requires a lot of travel.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta at the swearing-in ceremony in New Delhi on Thursday. (Photo: Tashi Tobgyal)
Pushpa Yadav, who hails from a village near Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao and has been living in Mehrauli for seven years, said, “The bus fare was waived during the AAP-led Arvind Kejriwal government but those buses wouldn’t stop when they would see a woman at the bus stop… Even if they charge the fare now, it’s alright, but the facilities should be top-class.”
Also present at the oath ceremony were people from other states, like Satlal Sahu from Sidhi Zila in Madhya Pradesh. He arrived with his family for 12 with hopes of meeting the Prime Minister to complain about alleged police inaction in the kidnapping of his wife.
Turning to a file full of news reports on the incident, he claimed, “Goons kidnapped my wife and are holding my two children hostage. We first went to Jantar Mantar, hoping that it would help us gather some attention, but then people told us all the big politicians were going to be here today, including Modi ji. So we came here, hoping that someone would help us with our issues.”
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