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AAP's Bharadwaj, Atishi likely to be sworn in as Delhi ministers tomorrow
The President has also accepted the resignations tendered by former Delhi ministers Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain.
The President on Tuesday approved the inclusion of senior Aam Aadmi Party MLAs Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj into the Arvind Kejriwal cabinet, with officials saying that the two new ministers are likely to be sworn in on Thursday.
According to a Union home ministry notification, the President has also accepted the resignations tendered by former Delhi ministers Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain. Delhi can have a maximum seven cabinet ministers, including the chief ministers.
Last week, Kejriwal had announced that Atishi and Bharadwaj will fill up the two vacant cabinet posts arising out of the resignations by Sisodia and Jain on February 28. Kejriwal had forwarded the names of the new ministers to the Delhi lieutenant governor for their appointment to the cabinet on March 1.
The inclusion of Atishi and Bharadwaj will mark the second reshuffle in the council of ministers since the AAP government returned to power in 2020. Raaj Kumar Anand was earlier inducted into the cabinet in November, following resignation by social welfare minister Rajendra Pal Gautam.
Also read: AAP leader Atishi set to become Delhi minister. 5 points about her
Bharadwaj, 43, the Delhi Jal Board vice-chairman, is a three-time lawmaker from Greater Kailash. He served as a minister in AAP’s brief first stint in the government in 2013. Bharadwaj is also AAP’s chief spokesperson. Atishi, 41, a Rhodes scholar, is a first-time lawmaker from Kalkaji. She is believed to have played a key role in the AAP government’s education reforms and worked closely with Sisodia.
The new ministers will be joining the cabinet at a time when the AAP government is engaged in a turf war with the LG over alleged interference in governance by Raj Niwas and insubordination by senior officials.
The Delhi government is also expected to present its Budget this month, as the Delhi assembly is expected to be convene on March 17.
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