In their legislative meeting on Tuesday, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs elected Atishi as their leader, which effectively means she will become the new Chief Minister of Delhi. Atishi is expected to take the oath of office at around 4:30 pm on Tuesday, following Arvind Kejriwal’s resignation to the Delhi Lieutenant Governor.
Atishi holds the highest number of portfolios including Education, Finance, Revenue, Law. Recently, the CM had nominated her to hoist the Tricolour on Independence Day in his stead. However, it was rejected and the L-G nominated Gahlot to do so.
“Atishi has a good rapport with officials and knows how to get work done,” a party source had stated earlier. Earlier, Kejriwal had ruled out the possibility of former deputy chief minister and AAP second-in-command Manish Sisodia taking over.
Atishi, a close aide of Arvind Kejriwal, will be the third women chief Minister of Delhi and eight Chief Ministers of national capital. The party added that the Delhi Assembly will be convened on September 26 and 27. Ahead of the legislative party meeting, Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj had ruled out the possibility of Sunita Kejriwal replacing her husband.
After being released from Tihar jail on bail in the excise policy case, the AAP national convenor said on Sunday that he would resign within 48 hours and sought early polls in Delhi. He vowed not to sit in the chief minister’s chair till people gave him a “certificate of honesty”.
AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal on Monday held “one on one” meeting with party leaders during the Political Affairs Committee over the name of a new Delhi chief minister.
Kejriwal will meet Lt Governor VK Saxena at 4:30 pm on Tuesday, during which he is likely to tender his resignation. Saxena has given Kejriwal an appointment for a meeting at 4:30 pm on Tuesday, official sources said on Monday.
AAP had earlier said Kejriwal sought time for a meeting with the lieutenant governor on Tuesday and was likely to tender his resignation. The AAP supremo had said he would become chief minister and Manish Sisodia his deputy “only when people say we are honest”.
