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Atishi and AAP leaders inducted as the ministers with the party’s National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal before oath ceremony. (Image: ANI)
Succeeding Arvind Kejriwal, who resigned from the Chief Minister’s post after securing bail from the Supreme Court in the alleged excise policy case, Atishi became the 8th and youngest Chief Minister of the national capital.
Senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Delhi along with her five ministers on Saturday in the presence of party’s national convenor Arvind Kejriwal.
Atishi and her council of ministers— Saurabh Bharadwaj, Gopal Rai, Kailash Gahlot, Imran Hussain and new entrant Mukesh Ahlawat— took oath in a low-key ceremony at Raj Niwas in New Delhi. Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena administered the oath of office to Atishi and her council of ministers.
Who Gets What In Atishi Government?
However, there has be no major change in the portfolio distribution as compared to the previous Kejriwal government. The departments were allocated to the ministers soon after they were sworn-in.
- Atishi: The Chief Minister will hold 13 portfolios— Public Works Department (PWD), Power, Education, Higher Education, Training and Technical Education, Public Relations Department, Revenue, Finance, Planning, Services, Vigilance, Water, and Law, Justice and Legislative affairs.
- Saurabh Bharadwaj: He has been given the responsibility of eight departments— Urban Development, Irrigation and Flood Control, Health, Industries, Art, Culture and Language, Tourism, Social Welfare, and Cooperative departments.
- Gopal Rai: He will hold three portfolios— Development, General Administration, and Environment, Forest and Wildlife.
- Kailash Gahlot: He has been given the responsibility of five departments— Transport, Home, Administrative Reforms, Information and Technology, and Women and Child Development departments.
- Imran Hussain: He has been given the charge of Food and Supplies and Elections portfolios.
- Mukesh Ahlawat: Ahlawat, a first-time MLA from Sultanpur Majra, has been made the minister of Gurudwara Elections, SC&ST, Land and Building, Labour and Employment departments.
Atishi, representing the Kalkaji constituency and the only woman minister in the outgoing Delhi Cabinet, was unanimously selected for the Chief Minister position by AAP MLAs during a September 17 party legislators’ meeting.
The Atishi-led new government will seek to prove the majority of her government in the Delhi Assembly, with a session called by the AAP for September 26-27. The tenure of the Atishi government will be brief as assembly polls in Delhi are due in February next year.
The new government will have to fast-track and give nod to various pending policies and welfare schemes such as the Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana, Electric Vehicle Policy 2.0 and doorstep delivery of services, among others.
