Vijender Gupta’s appointment as Speaker of the Delhi Assembly is a moment laced with dramatic irony. A veteran BJP leader, Gupta is no stranger to the chaos of the Delhi Assembly, often being a central figure in the contentious confrontations that marked the AAP’s decade-long rule. His frequent clashes, even being dragged out of the House, are now part of the Assembly’s storied history. Yet, in a turn of poetic justice, Gupta now presides over the same Assembly from which he was once forcefully removed, a striking reversal of fortune as the BJP takes back power after 27 years.

Gupta’s rise to the position of Speaker is symbolic, especially as both the former Speaker, Ram Niwas Goel, and AAP’s dominant figure, Arvind Kejriwal, are no longer part of the Assembly. The Baniya community leader, who has long enjoyed influence in Delhi’s trader circles, won the Rohini seat for a third consecutive time in 2025, defeating AAP’s Pradeep Mittal by over 37,000 votes. His political journey is a testament to resilience, having bounced back from earlier defeats, including his loss in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections to Congress’s Kapil Sibal and to Kejriwal in 2013.

Gupta’s political roots run deep. From his beginnings in the Janata Vidyarthi Morcha in 1980 to heading BJP’s youth wing in 1995, he rose through the ranks, even serving as the president of the Delhi BJP unit. His real breakthrough came in 1997 when he became a councillor in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, setting the stage for a career marked by both setbacks and comebacks.

Now, as Speaker, Gupta is tasked with leading a House where he once stood on the opposing side. His appointment marks a new chapter in his political career—one that will be watched closely, especially as Delhi’s politics enters a new phase under BJP leadership. In a city known for its fierce political battles, Gupta’s appointment is a reminder of how quickly the tides can turn in the world of politics.