Atishi to be sworn in as Delhi chief minister today

Chief Minister-designate Atishi, along with her new Council of Ministers, will be sworn in at a ceremony at Raj Niwas on Saturday afternoon, marking the fourth consecutive term for AAP in Delhi.

Atishi, a leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), will take her oath of office at 4:30 pm, officials said.

The newly announced Council of Ministers includes Sultanpur Majra MLA Mukesh Ahlawat, a newcomer, alongside returning ministers Gopal Rai, Kailash Gahlot, Saurabh Bharadwaj, and Imran Hussain.

Atishi will become the 17th female chief minister in India.

Officials from the lieutenant governor’s office stated on Friday evening that President Droupadi Murmu has appointed Atishi as Delhi’s chief minister, effective from her swearing-in date, and has also accepted Arvind Kejriwal’s resignation.

The President has also approved the appointment of five ministers, according to the officials.

An AAP leader mentioned that the ceremony would be modest, as the party is not in a celebratory mood due to Kejriwal’s resignation and delays in approvals, which left limited time for preparations.

Earlier this week, AAP MLAs unanimously selected Atishi as the leader of the ruling legislature party.

AAP’s national convener, Kejriwal, was released from Tihar Jail on September 13 after spending more than five months in custody over an excise policy case.

Two days later, Kejriwal made a surprise announcement, stating he would resign as Delhi’s chief minister due to the BJP’s “mudslinging” over corruption allegations.

Kejriwal further said he would return to the role only after receiving a “certificate of honesty” from Delhi’s people in the upcoming assembly elections.

Atishi’s government will have a short tenure, as Delhi’s assembly elections are scheduled for February next year.

During this period, her administration will need to expedite approvals for various pending policies and welfare initiatives, including the Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana, Electric Vehicle Policy 2.0, and the doorstep delivery of services.

In Kejriwal’s outgoing government, Atishi handled 13 portfolios, such as finance, revenue, PWD, power, and education.

Rai oversaw the environment, development, and general administration departments, while Bharadwaj managed the health, tourism, and urban development departments, among others.

Gahlot was responsible for transport, home, and women and child development, and Hussain served as the food and supplies minister.

Also Read:Delhi: AAP’s Atishi to be Capital’s new CM

According to AAP sources, the four retained ministers are expected to continue with their previous portfolios, while Ahlawat may be assigned the vacant portfolios left by Raaj Kumar Anand, who resigned as minister in April.

(With inputs from PTI)