New Delhi: Atishi, the nominated Chief Minister of Delhi, is set to take oath at 5 pm today, marking a significant transition in the state’s leadership . The ceremony follows Arvind Kejriwal’s resignation on September 17, after his release from jail in connection with the Delhi liquor scam case. Atishi, a trusted associate and confidant of Kejriwal, has been a key figure in the Aam Aadmi Party since the Anna movement.
Atishi’s Cabinet
Sources within the ruling AAP have indicated that the swearing-in ceremony for Atishi and her cabinet members—Gopal Rai, Kailash Gahlot, Saurabh Bharadwaj, Imran Hussain and Mukesh Ahlawat—will take place at Raj Niwas. According to a party official, the event is expected to be a modest gathering with a limited number of attendees. After her oath, the new chief minister will consult with senior AAP leaders to decide on the allocation of portfolios, as per party insiders.
The four ministers who have been retained in the new Cabinet will maintain their existing portfolios. Meanwhile, the departments that were left without leadership following the resignation of former AAP leader Raaj Kumar Anand will be assigned to Ahlawat. Anand, who previously served as the minister for social welfare, resigned from the Kejriwal government and left AAP in April. Ahlawat, an MLA from Sultanpur Majra, won his seat in the 2020 elections with a margin of over 48,000 votes.
Preparations are underway in the Lieutenant Governor’s office for the swearing-in ceremony, signaling a smooth transition of power. As the youngest Chief Minister of Delhi at 43, Atishi is expected to bring a fresh perspective to the state’s governance.
Rise to leadership
Atishi brings valuable experience to her new role, having served as a cabinet minister in the previous Kejriwal government and advisor to former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia for education. Her journey in politics began with her election as an MLA in the 2020 Delhi Assembly elections, where she won from the Kalkaji assembly seat, defeating BJP candidate Dharamveer Singh.
Third woman CM of Delhi
Atishi is set to become the third woman Chief Minister of Delhi, after the late Sushma Swaraj of the BJP, whose tenure was brief and Sheila Dixit of Congress, who served for 15 years. As Atishi takes the helm, most of the cabinet members will be familiar faces, with many having previously held ministerial positions. Mukesh Ahlawat will be taking the oath as a minister for the first time.
After Kejriwal’s resignation, the AAP has urged the Election Commission to schedule assembly elections in November this year. The party pointed out that elections are already planned for Maharashtra and Jharkhand during the same month, requesting that Delhi’s elections be held concurrently.