New Delhi: The swearing-in ceremony for AAP leader Atishi as Delhi’s chief minister, along with her council of ministers, is scheduled for Saturday afternoon at Raj Niwas at 4:30 pm, according to officials. The lieutenant governor’s office confirmed that President Droupadi Murmu has appointed Atishi to the position effective from her swearing-in date and has accepted the resignation of former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. The President also cleared the appointment of five ministers in the cabinet.

According to an AAP leader cited by PTI, the ceremony is likely to be a low-key affair as the mood in the party is not upbeat because of Kejriwal’s resignation.

The Atishi-led government will have a short tenure, with assembly elections in Delhi scheduled for February next year. Her administration will need to expedite approvals for various pending policies and welfare initiatives, including the Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana, Electric Vehicle Policy 2.0, and doorstep delivery of services. In the previous Kejriwal government, Atishi managed 13 portfolios, including finance, revenue, public works, power, and education. 

New Ministers To Take Oath With Atishi Today 

The party announced a new council of ministers that will include Gopal Rai, Kailash Gahlot, Saurabh Bharadwaj, Imran Hussain, and newcomer Mukesh Ahlawat, a first-time MLA representing Sultanpur Majra. Rai, Gahlot, Bharadwaj, and Hussain previously served as ministers in the outgoing Kejriwal government. 

AAP MLAs convened earlier this week and unanimously selected Atishi as the leader of the ruling legislature party after AAP national convener Kejriwal announced his sudden resignation.