‘Phulera Panchayat’ in Delhi? AAP Slams CM Rekha Gupta as Husband Attends Official Meet, BJP Hits Back

A political firestorm has erupted in the national capital, with the Aam Aadmi Party accusing Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta of unconstitutionally allowing her husband, Manish Gupta, to participate in official government meetings. Drawing a sharp parallel to the popular web series Panchayat, AAP likened the administration to the fictional “Phulera Panchayat,” where the husband of the elected woman head often wields de facto power.

The controversy erupted after a photograph surfaced from a government meeting showing Manish Gupta seated next to the Chief Minister. AAP seized on the image, posting on X: “Is Phulera’s Panchayat Government running in Delhi? Chief Minister Rekha Gupta holds a meeting with several officials and employees. But sitting right next to the CM, on a chair placed beside her, is her husband Manish Gupta.” The reference to the ‘pradhan pati’ character from the show, who informally runs village affairs, quickly went viral.

AAP’s Delhi unit president, Saurabh Bharadwaj, led the charge, alleging this was not an isolated incident and that the CM’s husband routinely attends official meetings and inspections. “Delhi Government turns into Phulera Panchayat… This is completely unconstitutional. In the nation’s capital, democracy and constitutional norms are being mocked in this manner,” Bharadwaj stated, adding that the photos were ironically sourced from the Chief Minister’s own official social media accounts. He also accused the BJP of hypocrisy, questioning its criticism of dynastic politics in other parties. “Does the Chief Minister of the world’s largest party not have even a single worker she can trust? Why is her husband being made part of the official system in this way?” he wrote.

The meeting in question was a review of development projects in the Shalimar Bagh constituency, held at the Chief Minister Jan Seva Sadan. While AAP framed it as a breach of constitutional protocol, the BJP dismissed the allegations. A party spokesperson defended the presence of Manish Gupta, stating there was “nothing wrong” with it and arguing the meeting was not a formal official review. The BJP also deflected criticism by pointing to AAP’s past, alleging that when former CM Arvind Kejriwal was jailed, his wife acted as a “dummy chief minister,” and the government was run from the “Sheesh Mahal”.

This is not the first time Manish Gupta’s presence at official functions has drawn political fire. He has previously been seen assisting in public hearings (jansunwais) and his attendance at meetings with officials from various Delhi departments earlier in the year had also triggered a slugfest with AAP. While the Chief Minister’s office has not issued a formal clarification, the incident has fueled a heated debate over governance protocols and the line between personal and official roles in the capital’s administration