New Delhi, Sep 21: Senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi took oath as the Chief Minister of Delhi on Saturday.

The oath of office and secrecy was administered to Atishi and her cabinet ministers by Lt Governor (LG) Vinay Kumar Saxena at the Raj Niwas.

Before the swearing-in ceremony, all the ministers met AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal.

Atishi is the third woman to become Chief Minister of Delhi and also the youngest to hold the top post.

Her succession to the CM post followed Kejriwal’s resignation as the Chief Minister after his bail in the liquor policy scam by the Supreme Court.

Atishi, who represents Delhi’s Kalkaji constituency was unanimously chosen as the leader for the top post at the AAP legislature party meeting on September 17.

Apart from Atishi, Gopal Rai, Kailash Gahlot, Saurabh Bharadwaj, and Imran Hussain, who were part of the outgoing Kejriwal government, were sworn in as ministers. One post remains vacant.

Mukesh Ahlawat is a new entrant in the Atishi cabinet. Being a first-time MLA from Sultanpur Majra and also the only Dalit face, Mukesh Ahlawat’s elevation will enhance the AAP government’s outreach to the backward communities.

Before the swearing-in, Ahlawat told IANS that there is some sadness within the party because of Kejriwal’s resignation but despite the setbacks, he will remain the sole leader of the party.

The swearing-in ceremony remained a low-key affair as the party didn’t engage in either show of strength or making big boasts about the new AAP government taking oath, ahead of Assembly elections. Atishi was also one of the senior-most ministers in the erstwhile Kejriwal government as she held multiple portfolios and was also seen as ‘filling in the gap’ in the absence of Kejriwal and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.

In the outgoing Kejriwal government, Atishi held 13 portfolios including finance, revenue, PWD, power and education among others. Rai held environment, development and general administration departments while Bharadwaj looked after the health, tourism and urban development departments among others. Gahlot was in charge of transport and Hussain of food and civil supplies.

--IANS

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