Atishi on Saturday along with her new Council of Ministers during a ceremony at the Raj Niwas took oath as Delhi Chief Minister after Arvind Kejriwal resigned from top post. The new Council of Ministers announced by the party comprises Sultanpur Majra MLA Mukesh Ahlawat, a new entrant, besides ministers Gopal Rai, Kailash Gahlot, Saurabh Bharadwaj and Imran Hussain. AAP MLAs met earlier this week and unanimously chose Atishi as the leader of the ruling legislature party.
Atishi became the 17th female chief minister in the country and third in the national capital after the late Sushma Swaraj and the late Sheila Dikshit. The officials at the lieutenant governor's office on Friday evening said President Droupadi Murmu has appointed Atishi as the chief minister of Delhi from the date of her being sworn in and has also accepted Arvind Kejriwal's resignation.
The President has also cleared the appointment of five ministers, they added.
Atishi, however, will have a brief tenure in office as assembly elections in the national capital are due in February.
Kejriwal my guru: Atishi
In her emotional address, Atishi stated that Kejriwal's decision to step down was a deeply sorrowful moment for Delhi. She also clarified that while she has been entrusted with the role of Chief Minister for the interim period, her tenure will last only until the upcoming elections. “Don’t congratulate me or garland me for becoming Chief Minister. I will hold this position only until the elections. If we win, Arvind Kejriwal will return as Chief Minister,” Atishi said, underscoring her commitment to following Kejriwal’s leadership during this transitional phase.
