Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday alleged that the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government left the state exchequer empty. She, however, assured that the Rs 2,500 monthly financial aid scheme for women, promised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during the election campaign, would be implemented with proper planning.

Addressing a press conference alongside Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva, Gupta said, “The condition which the (previous) government has left for us, when we sat with officers to review the financial status of the current government, we found that the government exchequer was empty.”

Despite the financial challenges, she affirmed the government’s commitment to rolling out the scheme in a structured manner.

BJP’s Virendra Sachdeva reiterated that the party’s primary focus is on the development of Delhi and resolving public grievances. “The BJP government’s only agenda is ensuring a developed Delhi and solving the problems of the people,” he stated.

The BJP ended the AAP government’s decade-long rule by winning 48 out of 70 seats in the Delhi Assembly elections held earlier this month, marking its return to power in the national capital after 26 years.

Meanwhile, AAP leader and former Chief Minister Atishi wrote to Rekha Gupta on Saturday, seeking a meeting to discuss the promised Rs 2,500 monthly aid for women. In her letter, Atishi questioned why the scheme was not approved in the new BJP government’s first cabinet meeting despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assurance during the poll campaign.

The issue is expected to remain a focal point of political debate in the coming days as the BJP government in Delhi moves forward with its policy plans.