Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory of Delhi is a union territory in India, which also includes the national capital city of New Delhi. Delhi has been represented by multiple legislators, administrators, executives, civil servants, politicians and local level activists throughout its history.
This article lists the representatives of Delhi from 1911, when Delhi was given its current boundaries.
During the British Raj (1911–1947)[edit | edit source]
In 1911, the then King George V in Delhi Durbar announced that the capital of India will shift from Calcutta to Delhi.[1] It also led to Delhi separating from Punjab Province. The region was officially called the Chief Commissioner's Province of Delhi. Through Government of India Act 1919, many provinces got a Legislative council but Chief Commissioner's provinces were deprived of it. The Chief Commissioner of Delhi was the Administrative and Judicial head of the province with no checks and balances except for the appointment by Governor General/Viceroy of British India.
| # | Name | Term | Appointed by | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | End | |||
| 1 | William Malcolm Hailey[2] | 1 October 1912 | 7 November 1918 | Lord Hardinge |
| 2 | Claud Alexander Barron | 7 November 1918 | 31 March 1924 | Lord Chelmsford |
| 3 | Evelyn Robins Abbott | 31 March 1924 | 15 April 1926 | Lord Reading |
| 4 | Alexander Montague Stow[3] | 15 April 1926 | 29 March 1928 | Lord Irwin |
| Acting | John Nesbitt Gordon Johnson | 29 March 1928 | 7 August 1928 | |
| 5 | John Perronet Thompson | 8 August 1928 | 21 March 1932 | |
| 6 | John Nesbitt Gordon Johnson | 21 March 1932 | 21 March 1937 | Lord Willingdon |
| 7 | Evan Meredith Jenkins[4] | 21 March 1937 | 1 July 1940 | Lord Linlithgow |
| 8 | Arthur Vivian Askwith | 1 July 1940 | 6 September 1945 | |
| 9 | William Christie | 6 September 1945 | 14 August 1947 | Lord Wavell |
Constituent Assembly of India (December 1946 – 25 January 1950)[edit | edit source]
The Constituent Assembly of India was responsible for making the Constitution for the newly Independent India.
Chief Commissioner of Delhi sent the freedom fighter Deshbandhu Gupta to represent Delhi in the Constituent Assembly.
Under the Dominion of India (1947–1950)[edit | edit source]
Between 15 August 1947 (the date of the Partition of India) and 25 January 1950 (the date from which the Constitution of India was enforced), India was a dominion under the British Crown. The Chief Commissioner's Province of Delhi was still controlled by the Chief Commissioner but appointed by an Indian Governor General, not a British.
| Name | Term | Appointed by | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start | End | ||
| *No Data Available | 15 August 1947 | 1948 (Date unknown) | Chakravarti Rajagopalachari |
| Sir Shankar Prasada | 1948 (Date unknown) | 25 January 1950 | |
Under the Republic of India[edit | edit source]
Delhi (1950–1956)[edit | edit source]
Delhi was a Type-C state until 1956, which gave Delhi a Chief Commissioner appointed by the President of India (Head of State), a State Legislative Assembly (Local-level Legislature) and a place in both Houses of Parliament.
Chief Commissioners (1950–1956)[edit | edit source]
| Name | Term | Appointed by | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start | End | ||
| Shankar Prasada | 26 January 1950 | 1954 (Date unknown) | Dr. Rajendra Prasad |
| Anand Dattahaya Pandit | 1954 (Date unknown) | 31 October 1956 | |
Legislative Assembly of Delhi (1952–1956)[edit | edit source]
Delhi, with entire India, voted for the first time for the national elections to choose a democratically elected government for the first time. The state assembly elections were held with the national elections and 1st Delhi Legislative Assemblywas formed by the winners of the election in each constituency.
| S.No. | Constituency | Member | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kotla Feroze Shah | Shanta Vasisht | INC | |
| 2 | Parliament Street | Kaushaleshwar Prasad Shankara | ||
| 3 | Safdar Jang | Daljit Singh | ||
| 4 | Lodhi Road | Shiva Nandan Rishi | ||
| 5 | Puran Qilla Viney Nagar | Pushpa Devi | ||
| 6 | Delhi Cantt | Raghvendra Singh | ||
| 7 | Reading Road | Amin Chand | BJS | |
| 8 | Prafulla Ranjan Chakravarty | INC | ||
| 9 | Chittar Gupta | Kartar Singh | ||
| 10 | Mantola | Mushtaq Rai | ||
| 11 | Ram Nagar | Shankar Lal | ||
| 12 | Jhanday Walan | Ghardhari Lal Salwan | BJS | |
| 13 | Kashmere Gate | Bhagwan Dass | INC | |
| 14 | Chandni Chowk | Yudhvir Singh | ||
| 15 | Phatak Habash Khan | Harkishan Lal | ||
| 16 | Maliwara | Anand Raj | ||
| 17 | Ballimaran | Sultan Yar Khan | ||
| 18 | Chawri Bazar | Nuruddin Ahmad | ||
| 19 | Ajmeri Gate | Shafiq Ur Rehman Kidwai | ||
| 20 | Sita Ram Bazar Turkman Gate | Shiv Charan Dass | ||
| 21 | Sudershan Singh | |||
| 22 | Kucha Chelan | Mushtaq Ahmad | SP | |
| 23 | Darya Ganj | Gurmukh Nihal Singh | INC | |
| 24 | Chandrawal | Hukam Singh | ||
| 25 | Roshanara | Jagan Nath | ||
| 26 | Arya Pura | Mangal Dass | ||
| 27 | Tokriwalan | Gopinath | ||
| 28 | Deputy Ganj | Sham Charan | BJS | |
| 29 | Pahari Dhiraj Basti Jullahan | Hem Chand Jain | INC | |
| 30 | Dhanpat Rai | |||
| 31 | Manak Pura | B.D. Joshi | SP | |
| 32 | Tibbia College | Ram Singh | ABHM | |
| 33 | Naiwala | Dilawar Singh | BJS | |
| 34 | Rehgar Pura Dev Nagar | Daya Ram | INC | |
| 35 | Sushila Nayar | |||
| 36 | Kishan Ganj Anad Parbat | Jag Pravesh Chandra | ||
| 37 | Civil Lines | Krishna | ||
| 38 | Kingsway Camp | Jang bahadur Singh | BJS | |
| 39 | Wazirabad | Fateh Singh | INC | |
| 40 | Shahdara | Chinta Mani | ||
| 41 | Narela | Mange Ram | ||
| 42 | Prabhu Dayal | |||
| 43 | Nangloi | Chaudhary Brahm Prakash | ||
| 44 | Khanjhawla | Bhup Singh | IND | |
| 45 | Isa Pur | Subedat Hati Singh | INC | |
| 46 | Najaf Garh | Ajit Singh | ||
| 47 | Mehrauli | Mitter Sen | ||
| 48 | Sukh Dev | |||
Members in Parliament[edit | edit source]
Provisional Parliament (26 January 1950 – 17 April 1952) As Constituent Assembly completed the task of making the constitution, it converted itself into a Provisional Parliament, which shall work until the first democratic elections in India take place.
Deshbandhu Gupta represented Delhi in the parliament from 26 January 1950 until his death on 21 November 1951. As the procedure for the first national elections had started, his office remained vacant and Delhi had no representative for the remaining tenure of the parliament. 1st Lok Sabha After nationwide elections, 1st Lok Sabha was formed in 1952.
Delhi sent 4 members from its 3 constituencies
| Constituency | Member | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Delhi | Sucheta Kriplani | KMPP | |
| Delhi City | Radha Raman | INC | |
| Outer Delhi | Naval Prabhakar | ||
| C. Krishnan Nayar | |||
Rajya Sabha members from Delhi
Delhi was given 1 Rajya Sabha seat.
| Member | Party | Term | Note | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | End | ||||
| Onkar Nath | INC | 3 April 1952 | 16 April 1955 | Resigned | |
| Vacant | 17 April 1955 | 12 May 1955 | |||
| Mehr Chand Khanna | INC | 13 May 1955 | 14 December 1956 | Resigned | |
| Delhi as a state stopped existing from 1 November 1956 | |||||
Union Territory of Delhi (1956–1992)[edit | edit source]
States Reorganisation Act, 1956 made Delhi a Union Territory without Legislature. Though the Union Territory retained its right to send representatives in both the Houses of Parliament. Rajya Sabha members were sent via elections in Delhi Municipal/Metropolitan Council and Lok Sabha members were sent through direct elections. The Chief Commissioner of Delhi was still the head of the state until 1966 when the office was replaced by the office of the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi.
Chief Commissioner of the Union Territory of Delhi[edit | edit source]
| Name | Civil Services | Term | Appointed by | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | End | |||
| Anand Dattahaya Pandit | Indian Civil Service | 1 November 1956 | *1959 | Dr. Rajendra Prasad |
| Bhagwan Sahay | *1959 | *1963 | ||
| Venkata Vishwanathan | *1964 | 6 September 1966 | Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan | |
| Aditya Nath Jha | 7 September 1966 | 3 June 1966 | ||
Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory of Delhi (1966–1991) Delhi Administration Act, 1966[5] established the office of Lieutenant Governor of Delhi which replaced the office of Chief Commissioner of Delhi.
| # | Officeholder | Associated Armed/Civil Services | Term | Appointed by (President of India) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | End | ||||
| 1 | Aditya Nath Jha | Indian Civil Service | 7 November 1966 | 19 January 1972 | Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan |
| Acting | M.C. Pimputkar | 19 January 1972 | 23 April 1972 | V. V. Giri | |
| 2 | Baleshwar Prasad | Indian Administrative Service | 24 April 1972 | 3 October 1974 | |
| 3 | Krishan Chand | Indian Civil Service | 3 October 1974 | 30 March 1978 | Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed |
| 4 | Dalip Rai Kohli | 30 March 1978 | 17 February 1980 | Neelam Sanjiva Reddy | |
| 5 | Jagmohan Malhotra | Indian Administrative Service | 17 February 1980 | 30 March 1981 | |
| 6 | Sundar Lal Khurana | 30 March 1981 | 2 September 1982 | ||
| (5) | Jagmohan Malhotra | 2 September 1982 | 25 April 1984 | Zail Singh | |
| 7 | P. G. Gavai | 25 April 1984 | November 1984 | ||
| 8 | Mohan M.K. Wali | November 1984 | November 1985 | ||
| 9 | H. L. Kapur | Air Vice Marshal | 16 November 1985 | 3 August 1988 | |
| Param Vishisht Seva Medal | |||||
| Ati Vishisht Seva Medal | |||||
| 10 | Romesh Bhandari | Indian Foreign Service | 4 August 1988 | 11 December 1989 | Ramaswamy Venkataraman |
| 11 | Arjan Singh | Marshal of the Air Force | 12 December 1989 | December 1990 | |
| Distinguished Flying Cross | |||||
| 12 | Markandey Singh | Indian Police Service | December 1990 | 2 February 1992 | |
Members of Parliament from the Union Territory of Delhi[edit | edit source]
| Name of member | Party | Tanure | Note | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | End | |||||
| Mehr Chand Khanna | INC | 13 May 1955 | 14 December 1956 | Resigned | Represented the state of Delhi before the UT was formed | |
| Onkar Nath | 24 November 1956 | 2 April 1960 | Served 2nd term | |||
| Begum Siddiqa Kidwai | 24 November 1956 | 2 April 1958 | ||||
| S. K. Dey | 31 January 1957 | 1 March 1962 | Elected in by-election to replace Mehr Chand Khanna.
Served remaining term |
Had to resign as he was elected to 3rd Lok Sabha from Nagpur | ||
| Begum Siddiqa Kidwai | 3 April 1958 | 3 June 1958 | Died on 3 June 1958 | |||
| Ahmed Ali Mirza | Independent | 17 September 1958 | 2 April 1964 | Served 2nd term | Elected in by-election to replace Begum Siddiwa Kidwai
Served remaining term | |
| Shanta Vasisht | INC | 3 April 1960 | 2 April 1966 | |||
| Sardar Santokh Singh | 16 April 1962 | 15 April 1968 | ||||
| Shanta Vasisht | INC(O) | 3 April 1966 | 2 April 1972 | Served 2nd term | ||
| Bhai Mahavir | BJS | 16 April 1968 | 15 April 1974 | |||
| L. K. Advani | 3 April 1970 | 2 April 1976 | ||||
| Savita Behen | INC | 3 April 1972 | 2 April 1978 | |||
| Khurshed Alam Khan | 16 April 1974 | 15 April 1980 | ||||
| Charanjit Chanana | 3 April 1976 | 2 April 1982 | ||||
| Jagannathrao Joshi | BJP | 3 April 1978 | 2 April 1984 | |||
| Shamim Ahmed Siddiqui | INC | 21 November 1983 | 20 November 1989 | |||
| Laxmi Narain | 21 November 1983 | 20 November 1989 | ||||
| Vishwa Bandhu Gupta | 3 April 1984 | 2 April 1990 | ||||
National Capital Territory of Delhi (1992–present)[edit | edit source]
The Constitution (Sixty Ninth Amendment) Act, 1991,[6] which came into effect from February 1, 1992, renamed the Union Territory of Delhi to the National Capital Territory of Delhi, which is also the currently used name for the region, though the region is still under the Union Territory status, it regained a Legislative Assembly and has some legislative powers. The Lieutenant Governor of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, nominated by the President of India is still the head of the state with most administrative powers. The members of Rajya Sabha from Delhi were now elected by the legislative assembly
Lieutenant Governors of the National Capital Territory of Delhi[edit | edit source]
| # | Officeholder | Associated Armed/Civil Services | Term | Appointed by (President of India) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | End | ||||
| 1 | Markandey Singh | IPS | 1 February 1992 | 4 May 1992 | Ramaswamy Venkataraman |
| 2 | Prasannabhai Karunashankar Dave | IAS | 4 May 1992 | 4 January 1997 | |
| 3 | Tejendra Khanna | 4 January 1997 | 20 April 1998 | Shankar Dayal Sharma | |
| 4 | Vijai Kapoor | 20 April 1998 | 9 June 2004 | K. R. Narayanan | |
| 5 | Banwari Lal Joshi | IPS | 9 June 2004 | 9 April 2007 | Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam |
| 6 | Tejendra Khanna | IAS | 9 April 2007 | 9 July 2013 | |
| 7 | Najeeb Jung | 9 July 2013 | 22 December 2016 | Pranab Mukherjee | |
| 8 | Anil Baijal | 31 December 2016 | 18 May 2022 | ||
| 9 | Vinai Kumar Saxena[7] | N/A (Politician) | 26 May 2022 | Incumbent | Ram Nath Kovind |
Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ "Delhi Durbar – GKToday". www.gktoday.in. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
- ↑ https://www.ukwhoswho.com/display/10.1093/ww/9780199540891.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-51591
- ↑ https://www.ukwhoswho.com/display/10.1093/ww/9780199540891.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-217725
- ↑ Lloyd, Nicholas (October 2013), Talbot, Ian (ed.), "The Last Governor: Sir Evan Jenkins in the Punjab 1946-47", The Independence of India and Pakistan, Karachi, Pakistan: Oxford University Press, pp. 208–242, ISBN 978-0-19-906478-6, retrieved 11 June 2025
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link) - ↑ "Delhi Administration Act, 1966, India-legitquest". www.legitquest.com. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
- ↑ "The Constitution (Sixty Ninth Amendment) Act, 1991" (PDF). Delhi Vidhan Sabha.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Vinai Kumar Saxena is the new Lieutenant-Governor of Delhi". 23 May 2022. Archived from the original on 2 September 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2022.