Senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi took the oath as the Chief Minister of Delhi on Saturday. Lt Governor (LG) Vinay Kumar Saxena administered the oath of office and secrecy to Atishi and her cabinet ministers at the Raj Niwas. Before the swearing-in ceremony, all the ministers met AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal.
Atishi is the third woman to become Delhi CM and the youngest to hold the top post. Her succession to post follows Kejriwal’s resignation as the CM after his bail in the liquor policy scam by the Supreme Court. Atishi, who represents Delhi’s Kalkaji constituency, was unanimously chosen as the Delhi CM at the AAP legislature party meeting on September 17. Apart from Atishi, Gopal Rai, Kailash Gahlot, Saurabh Bharadwaj, and Imran Hussain, who were part of the outgoing Kejriwal government, were sworn in as ministers. One post remains vacant.
Mukesh Ahlawat is a new entrant in the Atishi cabinet. He is a first-time MLA from Sultanpur Majra and also the only Dalit face. His elevation will enhance the AAP government’s outreach to backward communities. Before the swearing-in, Ahlawat told IANS that there was some sadness within the party because of Kejriwal’s resignation, but despite the setbacks, he will remain the party’s sole leader.
The swearing-in ceremony remained a low-key affair, as the party didn’t engage in either showing strength or making big boasts about the new AAP government taking oath ahead of Assembly elections. Atishi was also one of the senior ministers in the erstwhile Kejriwal government, holding multiple portfolios. She was also seen as ‘filling in the gap’ in the absence of Kejriwal and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.
In the outgoing Kejriwal government, Atishi held 13 portfolios, including finance, revenue, PWD, power, and education. Rai held the environment, development, and general administration departments, while Bharadwaj looked after the health, tourism, and urban development departments. Gahlot was in charge of transport, and Hussain of food and civil supplies.
–IANS
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