Jat, Sikh, Brahmin & Dalit: A look at Rekha Gupta’s diverse cabinet

New Delhi:  BJP’s new Delhi government, led by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, will have six cabinet ministers, including former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Kapil Mishra.

According to a Union Home Ministry notification issued on Thursday, President Droupadi Murmu, on Ms Gupta’s recommendation, appointed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma, Ashish Sood, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Ravinder Indraj, Kapil Mishra, and Pankaj Kumar Singh as ministers in the Delhi government.

The ministers took the oath of office alongside Ms Gupta in a grand ceremony at Ramlila Ground, which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries.

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Here are the six ministers in Rekha Gupta’s new Delhi cabinet:

Parvesh Verma

Parvesh Verma, a two-time BJP MP, won the New Delhi seat by defeating AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal. A prominent Jat leader in the capital, he was born on November 7, 1977, and is the son of former Delhi Chief Minister Sahib Singh Verma. He graduated from Kirori Mal College, Delhi University, and later earned an MBA from the Fore School of Management.

Kapil Mishra

Kapil Mishra, formerly with AAP, won the Karawal Nagar constituency on a BJP ticket. Born on November 13, 1980, in Delhi, he is the son of Annapurna Mishra, a former East Delhi mayor, and Rameshwar Mishra, a socialist leader. He completed his education at Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar College.

Previously, he served as Delhi’s water resources minister in Arvind Kejriwal’s government but was removed from the cabinet in 2017. He joined the BJP in 2019 and was accused of making inflammatory speeches during the 2020 Delhi riots.

Manjinder Singh Sirsa

Manjinder Singh Sirsa is the BJP’s Sikh representative in the cabinet. A three-time MLA, he won the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections from Rajouri Garden. Previously, he was associated with the Shiromani Akali Dal.

Ashish Sood

A prominent figure in Delhi’s Punjabi community, Ashish Sood is a first-time MLA from Janakpuri. Born on September 2, 1966, he is a senior BJP leader with administrative experience from his tenure in the South Delhi Municipal Corporation.

He has also served as the vice president of BJP’s Delhi unit and currently holds the role of party in-charge for Goa, as well as co-in-charge for the Jammu and Kashmir unit.

Pankaj Kumar Singh

Pankaj Kumar Singh, a first-time MLA from Vikaspuri, is a key Purvanchali leader in the BJP. A dentist by profession, he represents the growing influence of Purvanchali voters in Delhi politics.

Ravinder Indraj Singh

Ravinder Indraj Singh, BJP’s Dalit leader, secured the Bawana (SC) seat with a margin of over 31,000 votes. He has been an executive member of BJP’s Scheduled Caste Morcha and is expected to play a significant role in the party’s outreach to Dalit communities.