Redrawing the Map

A business-savvy Chief Minister tries to sweep away the grime and legacy of her predecessors.

Delhi

For years, Delhi staggered under the weight of promise and paralysis. Under the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government led by Arvind Kejriwal, populist gestures often overshadowed serious governance. Infrastructure projects lagged, illegal constructions mushroomed and despite earnest talk about the Yamuna’s revival and healthcare reforms, delivery fell woefully short. Now, with Rekha Gupta of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the helm, the winds of change are unmistakably blowing through the national capital.

In her first 60 days in office, Gupta, a businesswoman-turned-politician, has unveiled a flurry of initiatives that signal both a break from the past and an ambition to future-proof Delhi. Her Rs. 4,000-crore development project, announced at the 120th anniversary of the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is touted as a “100-year development model.” Sceptics might smirk at the timescale, but the early signs of intent are hard to ignore.

Unlike the AAP, whose tenure saw administrative gridlock between Delhi’s government and its municipalities, Gupta has used her political heft to align the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), municipal corporations, and government departments. Already, Rs. 3,000 crore has been committed to upgrading water and sanitation - two sectors that were chronic failures under her predecessors. Under AAP, sewer overflows and the stench of bureaucratic inertia were common; Gupta has rolled out 1,111 GPS-tracked water tankers and deployed 50 super-sucker machines to clean the city’s drains in stark contrast to the mere two machines bought in the previous decade.

More impressively, technology is being leveraged with unexpected sophistication. Citizens can now track water tankers through mobile dashboards, a small but symbolic shift towards greater transparency - an area where the AAP's promises often evaporated into bluster. Gupta is acutely aware that clean governance must be as visible as clean drains.

Healthcare, another Achilles’ heel of the AAP regime despite grandstanding on mohalla clinics, is also receiving urgent attention. At the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), Gupta called for a more inclusive healthcare model, acknowledging Delhi’s de facto role as a national health capital. The recent launch of an Integrated Liver Rehabilitation Centre, inaugurated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, fits snugly into her broader strategy: modernise, expand and integrate healthcare systems from primary to tertiary levels.

The Chief Minister’s embrace of Ayushman Bharat, the Modi government’s flagship health insurance programme (something the AAP resisted adopting fully) signals a new era of cooperative federalism. There is also a commitment to revive water bodies, install smart meters and expand hospital capacity, aiming for an infrastructure that can support a swelling population.

Gupta’s critics, especially the AAP, argue that her blitzkrieg of announcements is more style than substance. But her response to the Mustafabad building collapse offers an early case study in active governance. Within hours, evacuation orders were issued for nearby unsafe structures. Law Minister Kapil Mishra, a vocal critic of the AAP’s alleged complicity in illegal constructions, directly linked the tragedy to Kejriwal-era negligence and appeasement politics. While the rhetoric was predictably sharp, there is little doubt that the MCD, now under BJP influence, has shifted from passive tolerance to active intervention.

Where Kejriwal once skilfully played the outsider taking on entrenched power structures, Gupta is positioning herself as the reformer restoring institutional strength and public accountability.

Nonetheless, success will depend not just on new projects but on the sustained execution of these plans. Delhi’s problems are hydra-headed: air pollution, housing shortages, traffic congestion and climate resilience are all interlinked challenges.

Still, the early months of her tenure suggest a refreshing seriousness of purpose. Rekha Gupta’s model is less about charismatic populism and more about managerial competence. If she can maintain this momentum and can translate announcements into visible results, Delhi might indeed be poised for a renaissance. After years of drift, the city is in dire need of a new architect.