From ouster to authority: Vijender Gupta returns as Speaker of Delhi Assembly, from where he was once thrown out

Over a decade ago, the Delhi Assembly witnessed high drama as marshals forcibly removed BJP leader Vijender Gupta from the House. Clad in a crumpled white kurta-pyjama, he clung to the furniture in defiance, resisting with all his might as half a dozen officials pried him away.

Now, in a striking reversal of fate, Gupta has returned — not as a protester, but as the newly appointed Speaker of the very Assembly that once ejected him.

His rise comes on the heels of the BJP’s landslide victory in the 2025 Delhi elections. Retaining his Rohini seat for a third consecutive term, Gupta has transitioned from vocal opposition leader to the custodian of legislative proceedings.

"I am grateful to the party for entrusting me with this role. I will ensure responsible conduct in the Assembly and encourage meaningful discussions," he told news agency PTI after his appointment.

The 2015 clash

Gupta’s dramatic expulsion dates back to 2015 when all three BJP MLAs — Vijender Gupta, OP Sharma, and Jagdish Pradhan — were forcibly removed from the Assembly. Their heated protest, demanding the implementation of the Fourth Delhi Finance Commission’s recommendations, disrupted proceedings. Then-Speaker Ram Niwas Goel ordered their eviction to restore order.

A day earlier, BJP MLA OP Sharma had also been dragged out for interrupting chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s address.

Now, a decade later, Gupta finds himself in the Speaker’s chair, overseeing the very Assembly where he once clashed with marshals. His journey from resistance to responsibility marks a dramatic political turnaround in Delhi’s legislative history.