AAP chief Kejriwal reshuffles Delhi cabinet, removes Kapil Mishra as water minister

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal removed Aam Aadmi Party leader Kapil Mishra from his cabinet on Saturday.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal removed Aam Aadmi Party leader Kapil Mishra as the water and tourism minister on Saturday, reshuffling his cabinet after the party’s poor performance in municipal elections last month.

Kapil Mishra speaks during a press conference. (Sonu Mehta/HT File Photo)

Najafgarh legislator Kailash Gahlot and Seemapuri MLA Rajendra Gautam have been inducted in the cabinet, taking the total number of ministers to seven.

Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia told news agency ANI: “Water management was not up to the mark and Kapil Mishra made a lot of effort but the CM decided to bring in Kailash Gahlot in his place.” 

A senior official said the decision to remove Mishra, who was holding the post since AAP came to power in February 2015, was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired Kejriwal.

Soon after the move, Mishra claimed he would “expose” the involvement of certain AAP leaders in an alleged scam on Sunday.

He said he had met the CM earlier in the day and handed over documents related to the alleged scam.

“I was not informed of the decision and as per my knowledge, it was taken unilaterally by Kejriwal. The cabinet or the Political Affairs Committee (the AAP’s top decision-making body) was not involved,” Mishra told PTI.

Mishra tweeted after the announcement that he is the the only minister with no corruption charges, adding that there was no CBI inquiry against him and none of his family members held a post in the government.

A senior government official said the decision to remove Mishra was taken after it was found that the minister had submitted several “inflated” bills.

Mishra was considered to be one of the most vocal and active voices in the government until he sided with Vishwas.

(With PTI inputs)