Congress leader Alka Lamba shares 1995 photo with BJP’s Delhi CM-pick Rekha Gupta – ‘warm and nostalgic,’ say netizens

Congress leader Alka Lamba shared a picture of her university days with Delhi Chief Minister-elect Rekha Gupta, winning the hearts of netizens, perhaps for keeping party differences aside. 

Lamba, who lost to AAP leader Atishi from Kalkaji in the recently held Delhi Assembly Elections, shared a 1995 picture with Rekha Gupta. In the picture, Alka Lamba takes oath as Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) President, representing the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), the Congress party's student wing.

Rekha Gupta took oath as General Secretary of DUSU, representing the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), a student organisation affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological mentor of the BJP.

Rekha Gupta will take the oath as Delhi's fourth woman chief minister today. The Shalimar Bagh MLA was picked as the leader of the BJP's Legislature Party on Wednesday, after which Lamba shared the post on X accompanying the throwback picture.

“This memorable photo from 1995 - when Rekha Gupta and I took oath together- I won the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) president post from NSUI and Rekha won the post of ABVP General Secretary. Congratulations and best wishes to Rekha Gupta,” Lamba wrote.

Rekha Gupta became the DUSU president in 1996.

Active student politics

The picture also evokes the active student politics of Delhi University's earlier years, which produced leaders like Arun Jaitley, Ajay Maken, Rekha Gupta, and Alka Lamba. 

“Congratulations to Delhi for getting its fourth woman Chief Minister and we hope that mother Yamuna will be clean and daughters will be safe,” said Lamba, former Chandni Chowk MLA. 

The picture is also one of many on Rekha Gupta's website. Netizens appreciated Lamba for sharing the picture without focusing on party politics.

“The journey of leadership begins with strong foundations, and both of you embody that spirit. Though on different paths today, your shared beginnings as student leaders have shaped you into inspiring public figures. Wonderful to see this post - so warm and nostaligic,” wrote a user.