The Aam Aadmi Party’s leader, Atishi is set to be sworn in as Delhi’s youngest Chief Minister today. The oath-taking ceremony will be a low-key affair and is scheduled for 4:30 PM at Raj Bhavan. Alongside Atishi, five other AAP members, including senior leaders and a first-time MLA, will join the new council of ministers.
Accompanying Atishi in the swearing-in ceremony are AAP stalwarts Gopal Rai, Kailash Gahlot, Saurabh Bharadwaj, and Imran Hussain. Notably, the Delhi Cabinet will also welcome a new face, Mukesh Ahlawat, a first-time MLA from Sultanpur Majra and AAP’s prominent Dalit leader.
AAP to Reshuffle Cabinet
There is growing speculation about possible changes in the distribution of portfolios within the new council of ministers. Atishi, who previously held 13 key portfolios—including finance, revenue, PWD, power, and education—in the outgoing Kejriwal government, may see a reshuffling of responsibilities. This restructuring will be closely supervised as Atishi and her team settle into their new roles.
Atishi’s Rapid Rise in AAP
Atishi’s rise to Chief Minister post follows a unanimous decision by the AAP legislature party earlier this week after Arvind Kejriwal announced his resignation. Kejriwal’s decision to step down comes in the wake of his recent bail granted by the Supreme Court in a corruption case linked to the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam.
With Delhi’s Assembly elections set for February next year, Kejriwal has pledged to return as Chief Minister only if voters provide him with a “certificate of honesty.”
Atishi is a Rhodes scholar and Oxford University alumna, will be only the third woman to serve as Chief Minister of Delhi, following in the footsteps of Sushma Swaraj and Sheila Dikshit.
What are the challenges ahead for Delhi’s new leadership?
Atishi’s ascent has been nothing short of meteoric. From her early days as an adviser to former Education Minister Manish Sisodia to becoming an MLA in 2020 and now Chief Minister in 2024, she has been exceptionally well. However, her tenure as Chief Minister, though brief, will be packed with challenges.
Key tasks ahead include preparing the party for the upcoming Assembly elections and expediting pending welfare initiatives such as the Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana, Electric Vehicle Policy 2.0, and the doorstep delivery of services. The AAP government under Atishi will need to balance governance with the political demands of the approaching election.
