AAP leader Atishi, who took oath of office on Saturday, took charge as the eighth chief minister of Delhi on Monday. The Delhi Assembly will be in session on September 26 and 27.
Atishi has retained 13 departments that she held in the Kejriwal government, including education, revenue, finance, power and PWD.
After taking charge, she said, “I will work as Delhi’s chief minister for four months, just like Bharata worked by keeping Lord Ram’s sandals on the throne. Arvind Kejriwal has set an example of dignity in politics by resigning. The BJP left no stone unturned to tarnish his image.”
Today I have taken over the responsibility of the Chief Minister of Delhi. Today I have the same pain in my heart that Bharat had when his elder brother Lord Shri Ram went on a 14-year exile, and Bharat ji had to take over the governance of Ayodhya. Just like Bharat ruled Ayodhya for 14 years by keeping Lord Shri Ram’s sandals… pic.twitter.com/OkNEgtYIq4
— Atishi (@AtishiAAP) September 23, 2024
Atishi sat on a chair different from Kejriwal’s chair. She said, “Hopefully people will bring Kejriwal back in the elections to be held in February, till then his chair will remain in the CM office.”
Saurabh Bharadwaj holds eight portfolios, the second most after Atishi, including health, tourism, art and culture departments.
New minister Mukesh Ahlawat has been given the departments of Labor, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, Employment and Land and Buildings. Gopal Rai has been given the Development, General Administration Department, Environment and Forest Department, which he had in the Kejriwal government.
Kailash Gehlot has also retained his previous departments Transport, Home, Administrative Reforms, Women and Child Development.
The new Cabinet headed by Atishi has a long list of pending projects, schemes and new initiatives to be launched in the next few months ahead of the elections in Delhi in February next year.
