Mon Sep 08 06:02:40 UTC 2025: **Summary:**
A political controversy has ignited in Delhi after Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s husband, Manish Gupta, was seen attending a government meeting concerning development projects in the Shalimar Bagh constituency. Opposition parties, including the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress, have criticized this as unconstitutional and akin to “dynastic politics,” drawing parallels to situations where spouses of elected officials exert undue influence. The AAP has accused Manish Gupta of unofficially running the Delhi government, referencing the web series ‘Panchayat’ and drawing criticism of “double CM”. The BJP has defended the presence of Manish Gupta, stating he is a social worker familiar with the constituency and was attending as a resident representative, denying the claims of dynastic politics. Similar concerns were raised earlier in April when Manish Gupta was seen leading a government meeting in the absence of his wife.
**News Article:**
**Delhi CM Gupta Embroiled in ‘Husband-in-Meeting’ Controversy**
**Delhi, India** – Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta is facing a barrage of criticism after her husband, Manish Gupta, was photographed attending a government meeting to review development projects in the Shalimar Bagh constituency. The presence of Mr. Gupta, a businessman and social worker, has sparked accusations of unconstitutional behavior and potential conflicts of interest from opposition parties.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was quick to condemn the situation. AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj drew comparisons to the web series “Panchayat,” where the husband of a female village leader exerts unofficial authority. “Delhi Government has become ‘Phulera Panchayat,'” Bharadwaj stated in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “Is this not dynastic politics?” Further AAP leaders referred to a “double CM” for Delhi, with her husband being the “super CM”.
Congress has joined the fray, questioning who is truly running the Delhi government.
The BJP has defended CM Gupta. Delhi BJP leader Harish Khurana stated that Mr. Gupta, as a social worker familiar with the Shalimar Bagh constituency, was simply acting as a local representative, pointing out that residents were also present at the meeting. Furthermore, BJP’s IT Cell Head Amit Malviya accused the opposition of targeting Gupta simply for being a woman.
This isn’t the first time Manish Gupta’s involvement in government affairs has raised eyebrows. Back in April, his leadership of a meeting of several city-level departments sparked similar accusations of the CM delegating her responsibilities to her husband. The political fallout from this incident is ongoing.
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