Delhi Cabinet: Atishi Gets Sisodia's Education Portfolio Along With PWD, Saurabh Bharadwaj Allocated Jain's Health Dept

Newly appointed Delhi minister Atishi allotted Education, PWD, Power and Tourism portfolios; Saurabh Bharadwaj gets Health, Water and Industries and Urban Development.

Atishi Marlena (L) and Saurabh Bhardwaj (R) took oath as Delhi Cabinet ministers.

Source : ANI

After Manish Sisodia and Satyender Jain resigned, AAP MLAs Saurabh Bharadwaj and Atishi on Thursday were sworn-in as two new ministers in Delhi cabinet in the presence of LG VK Saxena and CM Arvind Kejriwal, news agency ANI reported.

Newly appointed Delhi minister Atishi allotted Education, PWD, Power and Tourism portfolios; Saurabh Bharadwaj gets Health, Water and Industries and Urban Development.

AAP MLAs Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj were sworn in as Delhi ministers in the presence of Delhi LG VK Saxena and CM Arvind Kejriwal today pic.twitter.com/eutDlDS8LX

— ANI (@ANI) March 9, 2023

After being sworn in as minister in Delhi Cabinet, Saurabh Bharadwaj stated: "Our ideal and elder brothers Manish Sisodia and Satyender Jain were sent to jail by the Centre in a conspiracy. I will follow their footsteps to continue doing the good works they initiated."

VIDEO | "Our ideal and elder brothers Manish Sisodia and Satyender Jain were sent to jail by the Centre in a conspiracy. I will follow their footsteps to continue doing the good works they initiated", says @Saurabh_MLAgk after being sworn in as minister in Delhi Cabinet today. pic.twitter.com/NvoN56MGA5

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 9, 2023

"It's a tough situation for our party and government. Our two senior leaders were sent to jail in false cases. We need to continue doing the good works initiated by both of them," Atishi stated. 

VIDEO | "It's a tough situation for our party and government. Our two senior leaders were sent to jail in false cases. We need to continue doing the good works initiated by both of them," says @AtishiAAP after being sworn in as minister in Delhi Cabinet today. pic.twitter.com/6kS5Z2TBJ4

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 9, 2023

The development comes after Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain resigned from their cabinet seats after being arrested in corruption allegations. Although Sisodia is in judicial detention in the Delhi excise policy case, Jain is being held in Tihar Prison on suspicions of money laundering in a case being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate.

President Droupadi Murmu has previously accepted Sisodia and Jain's resignations.

After a suggestion from Kejriwal, LG Saxena suggested the names of Atishi and Bharadwaj to President Murmu for appointment as Cabinet ministers.

With Sisodia's arrest, the Delhi government has a void in crucial sectors such as finance, health, and education.

Bhardwaj, the AAP's national spokesperson, previously served as vice chairman of the Delhi Jal Board. Bharadwaj, a legislator representing Greater Kailash, was also a minister during the AAP government's first term.

Atishi, who is MLA from Kalkaji constituency, has been a key member of Sisodia's education department. She had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from the East Delhi constituency but lost to BJP's Gautam Gambhir.

The AAP was obliged to reshuffle its Cabinet portfolios after Sisodia, generally regarded as Kejriwal's number two in the party and administration, was detained by the CBI in connection with suspected corruption in the now-withdrawn liquor policy.

The top AAP leader was taken to Tihar Prison on Monday, just after a CBI court ordered him to 14 days judicial custody in the case until March 20.

(With Inputs From Agencies)