Finance
Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo, has recommended Atishi as his successor as CM. Kejriwal is slated to retire later in the day after meeting with Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena.
The decision was made at an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) parliamentarians’ meeting on Tuesday.
Announcing the ‘unanimous’ decision of the party, Delhi minister and AAP leader Gopal Rai said, “When he (Arvind Kejriwal) decided to resign, legislative party meeting was held today. In the meeting it was unanimously decided that until the next elections, that we want to be held in October-Novemver at the earliest, and people make Arvind Kejriwal the Delhi CM with a thumping majority, Atishi would carry out the responsibilities as the new CM…”
AAP MLA Atishi was on Tuesday also elected as the leader of Delhi AAP Legislative Party, AAP sources told ANI.
Two days after Kejriwal announced his resignation, Delhi minister Atishi pipped Kailash Gahlot, the other frontrunner, to become the next Delhi Chief Minister. Other potential chief ministers included Gopal Rai, Saurabh Bharadwaj, and Sunita, Arvind Kejriwal’s wife.
Atishi Marlena Singh is the only female minister in the Delhi Cabinet. The Kalkaji MLA, who presently has the most responsibilities in the AAP administration, will succeed party president Arvind Kejriwal with only a few months till the Delhi Assembly elections.
In March of last year, AAP MLA was sworn in as a minister in the Delhi Cabinet with Saurabh Bhardwaj. They were elevated after Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain were sentenced to jail for alleged corruption and money laundering cases, respectively.
Atishi was assigned leadership of 14 departments. Atishi is in charge of key ministries such as education, finance, planning, PWD, water, power, and public relations. Meanwhile, Bhardwaj was assigned responsibility of the health, urban development, water, and industry ministries.
Source:FE
