New Delhi: Atishi is likely to be sworn in as the chief minister of Delhi on Saturday. The Office of Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena on Wednesday proposed the day for holding the swearing-in ceremony to the President and the Ministry of Home Affairs.
While Arvind Kejriwal handed over his resignation as CM to Saxena on Tuesday evening, Atishi presented a letter stating she had been elected as the leader of the AAP Legislature Party.
With Kejriwal resigning and former Patel Nagar MLA Raaj Kumar Anand leaving the Cabinet and the party a few months ago, there are now two vacant berths.
None of the current Cabinet members will be changed. “Gopal Rai, Kailash Gahlot, Saurabh Bharadwaj and Imran Husain will remain. Atishi, who holds 13 departments, will become the CM, meaning there could be some redistribution of workload. One of the frontrunners for the Cabinet berth is Kondli MLA Kuldeep Kumar. For the second minister, deliberations are underway,” The Indian Express reported quoting a party leader.
“The selection gains significance because before the Assembly polls, the party wants to give representation to members from all communities keeping in mind the track record and efficiency,” the leader added.
As CM, Kejriwal did not have any portfolio. Party leaders said this was unlikely to be the case with Atishi. “The top leadership has made it clear that Atishi has to focus on governance. She is expected to retain key portfolios such as finance, education, PWD, and power. While Arvind ji will focus on politics and poll campaigns, the new Cabinet has a lot of work to do,” said a party leader, according to the report.
