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India: Atishi to be Delhi's new chief minister after Arvind Kejriwal's resignation

The decision was taken at an Aam Aadmi Party legislators' meeting today

Published: Tue 17 Sep 2024, 10:29 AM

Updated: Tue 17 Sep 2024, 1:02 PM

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Photo: AFP

Photo: AFP

Delhi minister Atishi Singh will take over as the new chief minister of India's national capital territory after the resignation of incumbent Arvind Kejriwal, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party said on Tuesday.

Atishi has affirmed that she will work for the next few months with the goal of returning Kejriwal to the post after the upcoming elections. Expressing gratitude towards AAP Supremo Arvind Kejriwal, Atishi while addressing a Press conference on Tuesday said, "First, I would like to thank the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for giving me such a big responsibility and showed trust in me. This can happen only in Aam Aadmi party that a first time politician becomes Chief Minister of a state"

The new CM added, "As much as I am happy for being given such a big responsibility, I am also sad that the Delhi Chief Minister is resigning. The BJP has left no stones unturned, creating hindrances for the AAP. Made all central agencies run behind him."

Urging the people to re-elect Arvind Kejriwal in the upcoming elections in the national capital, Atishi said, "The people of Delhi, Aam Aadmi party MLAs and I, who will remain the Delhi CM till the next elections will work with one resolution that we need to make Arvind Kejriwal the Chief Minister of Delhi again. On behalf of all AAP MLAs and the 2 crore people of Delhi, I want to say that that there is just one CM of Delhi - Arvind Kejriwal".

Ms Atishi held key portfolios in the Delhi government such as Education and Public Works Department. An Oxford University alumnus and a Rhodes scholar, Atishi has worked extensively in the AAP's flagship exercise to overhaul education in Delhi's schools.

The 43-year-old is an MLA from Kalkaji constituency and became a minister after Mr Sisodia was arrested in a corruption case linked to Delhi's now-scrapped liquor policy.

Kejriwal's resignation

Indian opposition leader Arvind Kejriwal said on Sunday he will resign as chief minister of the Delhi regional government, two days after he was released from prison on bail in a graft case.

Kejriwal was granted bail on Friday by India's Supreme Court, almost six months after being detained in relation to alleged irregularities in the capital city's liquor policy.

Kejriwal is a fierce critic of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a former anti-corruption crusader whose decade-old Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) quickly rose to mainstream politics, although its clout is relatively small compared to older opposition parties.

Kejriwal, announcing his resignation as chief minister at a meeting with AAP workers, said he would only return to the post if people certify his honesty by voting for him in the upcoming Delhi election. He called on the Election Commission to bring forward the Delhi election to November, from February 2025.

"I demand elections be held in November with Maharashtra elections, I demand the elections be held immediately," Kejriwal said.

He was first taken into custody in March by India's financial crime-fighting agency, weeks before the country's national elections, in relation to Delhi's liquor policy.

Although he was granted bail in that case in July, he remained in detention due to his arrest the previous month by the federal police in another graft case related to the same policy.

Kejriwal, 55, and AAP deny the allegations and say the cases are "politically motivated".

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