All the CM’s men: a ‘balanced’ mix

New Delhi Cabinet reflects BJP's diverse representation with Purvanchali, Sikh, Punjabi, Dalit, and Jat leaders in key roles.

The new Cabinet has two Purvanchali faces, Kapil Mishra and Pankaj Singh; Ravinder Indraj Singh, a Dalit leader; three-time MLA and Sikh leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa; Ashish Sood, a Punjabi; and Parvesh Sahib Singh, a prominent Jat face

The Cabinet of the new government led by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta reflects the Bharatiya Janata Party’s “careful balancing” of caste and regional dynamics, party insiders said.

By including Jat, Sikh, Punjabi, Dalit, and Purvanchali leaders, the party has tried to balance the representation of all major communities that helped the BJP come to power in Delhi with a massive majority after 26 years.

Among the six Ministers, Kapil Mishra and Pankaj Singh are Purvanchalis — a community estimated to account for nearly a third of Delhi’s electorate. Mr. Mishra, a former AAP Minister, had joined the BJP in 2019. 

Mr. Singh, a dentist by profession, served as a councillor of Kunwar Singh Nagar in 2007 and 2012 and was a member of the MCD’s standing committee.

Parvesh Sahib Singh, who defeated AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, is a prominent Jat face. The son of a former Delhi Chief Minister Sahib Singh Verma, Mr. Singh has served as West Delhi MP for two terms from 2014-2024.

Ashish Sood, who was inducted into the Cabinet, comes from the Punjabi community. The Janakpuri MLA previously served as an MCD councillor in 2012. Within the BJP, he has been the party’s State vice president and general secretary and has also served as the BJP coordinator of Jammu and Kashmir and Goa.