Newly Inducted Delhi Ministers Saurabh Bharadwaj And Atishi Take Charge Of Their Offices

The induction of the two and the redistribution of portfolios followed the resignations of Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain from the cabinet.

Delhi Lt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena greets Atishi Singh and Saurabh Bhardwaj after they took oath as Delhi Ministers, in New Delhi ( Image Source :PTI )

Newly appointed Delhi ministers Saurabh Bharadwaj and Atishi took charge of their departments in the Delhi secretariat on Friday, reported news agency ANI.

Atishi will handle education, PWD, power, and tourism departments, while Bharadwaj will look after the health, urban development, water, and industries.

The portfolios were assigned soon after Delhi LG VK Saxena on Thursday administered the oath of office and secrecy to Kalkaji MLA Atishi and Greater Kailash legislator Bharadwaj.

Newly appointed Delhi ministers Saurabh Bharadwaj and Atishi take charge of their respective departments in the Delhi secretariat. pic.twitter.com/ML46swpmLR

— ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2023

Atishi has been a key member of Sisodia's education team. She is the first woman to become a minister in Kejriwal's cabinet in this term. The induction and the redistribution of portfolios followed the resignations of Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain from the cabinet.

President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday accepted the resignations of former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Minister Satyendar Jain, both currently lodged in Tihar jail. The President also gave her approval to appoint Bharadwaj and Atishi as ministers in the Delhi government upon LG Saxena's suggestion.

AAP has been forced to rejig its cabinet portfolios after Sisodia, widely seen to be Kejriwal's number two in the party and the government, was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with alleged corruption in the now-withdrawn liquor policy.

Of the 18 portfolios former deputy minister Manish Sisodia held before his arrest, Kailash Gahlot got finance, planning and home apart from revenue, transport, administrative reforms , law, justice and legislative affairs and information technology and would be presenting his first budget later later this month.

Gahlot had earlier held the woman and child development development department, which has now been transferred to Atishi. Raaj Kumar Anand, who was inducted into Cabinet in November last year, will additionally be handling land & building, labour, and employment departments.

Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on February 26 in connection with alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy for 2021-22. He is in judicial custody till March 20.  Jain, who is also in judicial custody, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a case of alleged money laundering on May 30 last year.

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