Vijender Gupta, a three-time MLA from Rohini and the BJP’s leader in the Delhi Assembly, is set to take on the role of Speaker after years of being in the Opposition. Gupta, 61, shared his views on the past, recalling how the AAP government often silenced their voices on critical issues such as roads, sewage, pollution, and Yamuna cleaning. He expressed his satisfaction over how the electorate responded by voting AAP out of power.
Gupta, a Delhi native, began his political journey as a student leader in the 1980s at Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) in Delhi University. He was later elected as the vice president of the DU Student Union.
His political career began in 1997 when he contested the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) elections, winning the councillor position from Rohini for three consecutive terms. In 2009, he ran for the Lok Sabha from Chandni Chowk against Congress’s Kapil Sibal but lost. Gupta contested his first Delhi Assembly election in 2013 from New Delhi, where he competed against former Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal. However, Kejriwal won that seat.
In 2015, Gupta successfully contested from Rohini in North West Delhi, securing the seat in both the 2020 and 2025 elections. In the latest polls, he received 65% of the vote share, defeating his AAP rival by nearly 38,000 votes—one of the highest margins in this election. His contributions in transforming Rohini into a modern locality have been widely acknowledged.
Gupta was also the president of the Delhi BJP between 2010 and 2013. His leadership in the Assembly started in 2015 when the AAP won a landslide victory, leaving just three BJP MLAs. As the Leader of Opposition (LoP), Gupta played a pivotal role, particularly during a heated exchange with AAP MLAs, which led to him being carried out by marshals. He resumed his position as LoP in August 2022, replacing Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, who moved to the Lok Sabha.
As LoP, Gupta continued to spotlight critical issues, including the controversy over Kejriwal’s residence, famously known as the “Sheesh Mahal” controversy. Following this, Gupta called for all Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports, including one on the issue, to be tabled in the new Assembly.
In response to Gupta’s complaints, the Delhi Directorate of Vigilance asked the Public Works Department to investigate who provided the expensive items for Kejriwal’s bungalow, and how public funds were affected. Additionally, the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) initiated an investigation.
Gupta has raised multiple issues in the past, including the non-implementation of the Ayushman Bharat scheme in Delhi, organizing protests within and outside the Assembly to push for its enforcement.
Gupta’s election affidavit mentions four pending criminal cases, one of which is related to defamation. In 2021, a case was filed after the AAP alleged that Gupta had shared a video on social media accusing the party of violence and hooliganism against women.