NEW DELHI: Mukesh Ahlawat will join the Delhi Cabinet as a new member, while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has decided to retain four existing ministers: Gopal Rai, Kailash Gehlot, Saurabh Bharadwaj, and Imran Hussain.
On Thursday, AAP announced that Rajya Sabha MP Atishi will be sworn in as the Chief Minister of Delhi on September 21, along with the new cabinet members. Atishi expressed her gratitude for the trust placed in her by outgoing Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, although she also noted her sadness at his resignation. She is determined to work towards bringing Kejriwal back as Chief Minister after the upcoming assembly elections.
The cabinet reshuffle (council of Ministersa - CoM) includes Mukesh Ahlawat, MLA from Sultan Pur Majra, who will join the new team. Current ministers Gopal Rai, Kailash Gehlot, Saurabh Bharadwaj, and Imran Hussain will retain their positions, handling portfolios in Environment, Finance, Health, and Food, respectively. It remains unclear if they will continue with their current portfolios.
Initially, AAP had planned for only Atishi to be sworn in, but it has now been confirmed that her council of ministers will also take the oath. Atishi, 43, will be the third woman to serve as Delhi’s Chief Minister, following Sushma Swaraj and Sheila Dikshit. She has been a significant AAP leader, previously advising Manish Sisodia during his tenure as Education Minister and playing a crucial role in educational reforms in Delhi's government schools.
Atishi, who joined AAP at its inception, was instrumental in drafting the party’s manifesto for the 2013 Assembly elections and has also served as a party spokesperson. She currently represents the Kalkaji constituency in the Delhi Assembly and holds several key roles within the government.
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