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Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP won 62 out of 70 seats in the Delhi assembly elections
New Delhi:
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has opted to retain the ministers from his first term and will have no new faces in his cabinet, sources told NDTV. The decision comes amid speculation that this time, Delhi could have two new ministers — Raghav Chadha and Atishi, who earlier were advisors to the government.
But a source said, “The Chief Minister feels that retaining ministers whose work won the party a second term is the right thing to do”.
For now, the cabinet would include Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain, Gopal Rai, Kailash Gahlot, Imran Hussain and Rajendra Pal Gautam, sources said.
Mr Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party won a huge mandate yesterday — 62 of Delhi’s 70 seats, a shade lower than the 67 seats it won in 2015.
The victory came in face of a mega campaign by the BJP that had focussed extensively on the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens.
AAP had steered clear of any controversy, seeking Delhi’s mandate on the strength of the work it has done over the last five years — especially in the sectors of health and education.
In his victory speech, Mr Kejriwal said the mandate signalled the success of a “new kind of politics” that focuses on “work”.
“People of Delhi have given a message that they will vote for schools, mohalla clinics, 24-hour electricity and free water. This is a great message for the country,” he said.
Since yesterday, there has been speculation that party spokesman Raghav Chadha could be given charge of the finance ministry — handled by Manish Sisodia, where he wasan advisor.
For Atishi, the natural choice was expected to be the education ministry, where she assisted the Deputy Chief Minister. But some said Mr Sisodia might be unwilling to give up the ministry where he had put in the most work.
The two were advisors to the government till the centre decided their appointment was illegal.
They were on the list of nine advisers and consultants whose posts were scrapped in April 2018, after the home ministry said the posts were unapproved. At the time, AAP said it was the centre’s intention was to scuttle the Delhi government’s plan to revamp the health and education sectors.
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