Kejriwal recommends Raaj Kumar Anand's to Delhi LG for inclusion in Cabinet

He is a post graduate in political science and had joined the anti-corruption movement along with his wife Veena Anand in 2011.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said he has recommended Patel Nagar MLA Raaj Kumar Anand's name to the lieutenant governor for including him in the Cabinet, days after Rajendra Pal Gautam resigned as minister following a row over his presence at a religious conversion event.

Raaj Kumar Anand joined the anti-corruption movement in 2011 that set the ground for the formation of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). (Twitter/Raaj Kumar Anand)

Gautam, who was minister for the departments of social welfare, SC and ST, registrar of co-operative societies and gurudwara elections, had resigned on October 9.

During a media briefing on the achievements of the Dialogue and Development Commission of Delhi (DDCD) in the last seven years, Kejriwal said he has written to Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G) V K Saxena recommending Anand's name.

Like Gautam, Anand, a first-time MLA, is also from the Jatav community.

He is a post graduate in political science and had joined the anti-corruption movement along with his wife Veena Anand in 2011. In the 2013 assembly elections, his wife had won from the Patel Nagar constituency.

In the 2015 assembly polls, she was replaced by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Hazari Lal Chauhan for the seat. In 2020, Raaj Kumar Anand contested the assembly polls from the seat and won it.

Gautam had said that he is resigning as minister as he does not want his leader (Kejriwal) or the AAP to be in trouble because of him.

The row erupted over his presence at the event where Hindu deities were allegedly renounced by hundreds of people.

President Droupadi Murmu had accepted the Gautam's resignation.