Atishi succeeds Arvind Kejriwal, takes oath as youngest Delhi CM

AAP leader Atishi on Saturday took oath as the youngest Chief Minister of Delhi, stepping into the shoes of party chief Arvind Kejriwal who quit the post earlier this week.

The AAP leaders, who are part of her Cabinet, met Kejriwal before taking oath.

Mukesh Ahlawat, Gopal Rai, Imran Hussain, Kailash Gahlot and Saurabh Bharadwaj took oath as ministers.

The AAP government in Delhi under Atishi’s leadership will be short since the tenure ends in February when the national capital will vote to elect a new CM.

As a Chief Minister, Kerjiwal was barred by the Supreme Court from signing any document and entering into his office.

He demanded the polls in Delhi, which are scheduled to be held in February, should be hosted in November along with elections in Maharashtra.

“I am here to ask people whether they consider Kejriwal to be guilty or innocent?” he said.

Slamming the Bharatiya Janata Party, he said the political outfit put him behind bars since it was scared of his performance. “The only thing I have is honesty,” he said.

The Supreme Court last week granted bail to Kejriwal, who was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with the excise policy case.

Kejriwal was arrested by the CBI in June when he was already in Tihar Jail in connection with the same case.

The AAP supremo has been in jail since March 21 when he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate over money laundering allegations while framing the Delhi liquor policy for 2021-22, which was later scrapped after the Lieutenant Governor raised red flags.

He was arrested by the CBI on June 26.

The ED has alleged the money Kejriwal got from the liquor sellers was used to fund the party’s campaign in Goa since he is the convenor of the AAP.