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This is an archive article published on March 9, 2025

International Women’s Day: If the country’s Budget is presented by Sitharaman, Delhi’s Budget will be read by Rekha Gupta, says CM

Recounting her political journey, CM Rekha Gupta said, “Back when I joined the ABVP, my family did not understand what politics was."

REKHA GUPTAChief Minister Rekha Gupta at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Saturday. (Express Photo/Praveen Khanna)

A red carpet and beats of dhol-nagadas welcomed members of Delhi BJP’s Mahila Morcha as they arrived at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Saturday, on the occasion of International Women’s Day.

The event, which was attended by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, saw an impressive turnout, with all arrangements being handled entirely by women-led teams. Male BJP office-bearers assisted with decorations, which included lining up party flyers and placing life-size cutouts of women MPs and MLAs along nearby roads.

Images of BJP women leaders, freedom fighters and renowned Indian sportswomen, adorned the insides of the stadium.

Recounting her political journey, Gupta said, “Back when I joined the ABVP, my family did not understand what politics was. When I was about to contest student body elections, my mother said ‘women do not fight elections’. That was when my father came out in my support.”

Crediting the BJP for giving her “samman, adhikaar, and manch (respect, rights and platform)”, she added, “When I got married, I got busy with my household. But the Yuva Sangathan (BYJM) came looking for me. They pulled me out of my household to join politics again… After handling family duties, I would rush to attend party events. While family members had their own complaints, if I failed to bring enough people to BJP events, party leaders would also be disappointed. But it’s only BJP that provides such leadership opportunities to women.”

Taking on AAP and Congress, Gupta said, “Some people and governments only talked about women’s rights and respect but never did anything for them. I remember when Indira Gandhi ji was the Prime Minister but there was no other woman in her Cabinet. These (AAP) people insulted their own female Parliamentarian by calling her to their home…”

Last year, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal had alleged that while she visited then Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s Civil Lines residence, his aide Bibhav Kumar had abused and assaulted her.

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“This is the only organisation (BJP) which did what it said. Today, if the country’s Budget is presented by Nirmala Sitharaman, Delhi’s Budget will be presented by Rekha Gupta,” the CM added.

Speaking at the event, BJP national president J P Nadda highlighted the party’s representation of women in the Parliament.

“From village councils to the President’s office, women are leading in various capacities, which is a matter of pride. In India’s 75-year history, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is the only woman to have presented the Budget eight times,” he said.

Saman Husain is a Correspondent at The Indian Express. Based in New Delhi, she is an emerging voice in political journalism, reporting on civic governance, elections, migration, and the social consequences of policy, with a focus on ground-reporting across Delhi-NCR and western Uttar Pradesh. Professional Profile Education: She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science (Honours) from Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi, and is an alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai. Core Beats: Her reporting focuses on the national capital’s governance and politics. She specializes in Delhi’s civic administration and the city units of the BJP, AAP and Congress. In western Uttar Pradesh, she mostly reports on crime. Specialization: She has a keen interest in electoral processes and politics — her recent contributions include work on electoral roll revisions. Recent Notable Articles (since July 2025) Her recent work reflects a strong show-not-tell approach to storytelling, combining narrative reporting with political and historical context: 1. Politics: “On the banks of the Yamuna, a political tussle for Purvanchali support” (October 6): A report on how migration histories shaped electoral strategies in Delhi before the Bihar elections. “Explained: How Delhi’s natural drainage vanished gradually over the centuries” (September 29): An explanatory piece tracing the historical reasons that eventually led to the erosion of Delhi’s rivers and its impact on perrenial flooding. 2. Longforms “Four weddings, three funerals: How a Uttar Pradesh man swindled insurance companies” (October 7): A long-read reconstructing a chilling fraud by a man who killed three of his family members, including both his parents for insurance proceeds. His fourth wife discovered his fraud… “How Ghaziabad conman operated fake embassy of a country that doesn’t exist — for 9 years” (July 27) : A story on bizarre fraud operation and the institutional blind spots that enabled it. 3. Crime and Justice: “He was 8 when his father was killed. Fifteen years later, in UP’s Shamli, he took revenge” (October 18): A deeply reported crime story tracing cycles of violence, memory and justice in rural Uttar Pradesh. “Who killed 19 girls in Nithari? With the SC rejecting appeals, there are no answers and no closure” (July 31): A report capturing the long legal and emotional aftermath of one of India’s most chilling unsolved criminal cases. 4. Policy Impact “At Manthan, over US tariffs, Delhi-NCR’s apparel industry brainstorms solutions” (September 8) and “Trump’s 50% tariff begins to bite: Agra’s leather belt feels the impact” (August 13) : Reports documenting how global trade decisions ripple through local industries, workers and exporters. Signature Style Saman is recognized for her grassroots storytelling. Her articles often focus on the "people behind the policy". She is particularly skilled at taking mundane administrative processes and turning them into compelling human narratives. X (Twitter): @SamanHusain9 ... Read More

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