The 8th session of the Delhi Assembly began on Monday with BJP MLA Arvinder Singh Lovely being sworn in as the Protem Speaker at Raj Niwas. The oath was administered by Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, marking the official start of the session. The election of the Speaker is scheduled to take place at 2 pm.
Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa emphasized the significance of the session, stating that it marked the beginning of a new chapter. He criticized the AAP-DA for “spoiling” Delhi over the past 12 years and suggested that the upcoming CAG report would reveal corruption under Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s leadership in the last three years.
Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra also called the day historic, highlighting that the public had reclaimed their power after the period of corruption. He expressed confidence that under CM Rekha Gupta’s leadership, the government would focus on serving the people.
Minister Ashish Sood stressed that the BJP’s priority would be to address the long-standing issues of water, sewage, roads, and clean air in Delhi, which have been persistent concerns for residents over the last decade.
Meanwhile, crowds gathered outside newly elected CM Rekha Gupta’s residence to greet her as she started her tenure. Gupta, sworn in as Chief Minister on Thursday, had already chaired her first cabinet meeting, announcing the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat scheme with a Rs 5 lakh top-up and pledging to table 14 pending CAG reports in the session.
Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena is set to address the assembly on February 25, after which the CAG reports will be presented. The assembly will then discuss the motion of thanks on the LG’s address, with the election of the Deputy Speaker scheduled for February 26.