Newly Inducted Delhi Ministers Atishi, Saurabh Bhardwaj Take Charge Of Ministries Today

President Murmu on Tuesday appointed Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj as ministers in the Delhi cabinet on the advice of CM Arvind Kejriwal, with effect from the date they are sworn in, stated the Ministry of Home Affairs.

New Delhi: Newly appointed Delhi government Ministers Saurabh Bharadwaj and Atishi Marlena on Friday took charge of their respective departments in the Delhi Secretariat. Both were sworn in as Ministers in the Delhi Cabinet on Thursday in the presence of Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena at Raj Niwas. This came after President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday accepted the resignations of former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Minister Satyendar Jain, both of whom are currently lodged in Tihar jail. 

Saurabh Bhardwaj has been allocated the portfolios of Health, Industry, Services, Vigilance, Urban Development, Water, and Irrigation & flood control. Meanwhile, Atishi has taken charge of Education, Power, the Public Works Department, Women and Child Development, Tourism, Art, Culture & Language.

दिल्ली के स्वास्थ्य मंत्री @Saurabh_MLAgk जी व शिक्षा मंत्री @AtishiAAP जी ने अपने-अपने मंत्रालय का कार्यभार संभाला

जैसे @msisodia जी, @SatyendarJain जी ने शिक्षा-स्वास्थ्य क्षेत्र में भारत का नाम दुनियाभर में रोशन किया है

वैसे ही आप भी दिल्लीवासियों की उम्मीदों पर खरा उतरेंगे। pic.twitter.com/ErstPpYu40 — Aam Aadmi Party Delhi (@AAPDelhi) March 10, 2023

President Murmu on Tuesday appointed Atishi and Bharadwaj as ministers in the Delhi cabinet on the advice of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, with effect from the date they are sworn in, stated Ministry of Home Affairs. Kejriwal had forwarded the names to the Lieutenant Governor for their appointment to the Cabinet.

Atishi represents the Kalkaji constituency and has been a key member of Sisodia`s education team. She had also contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from the East Delhi constituency and lost to BJP`s Gautam Gambhir.

Bharadwaj, the party`s national spokesperson, had served the Delhi Jal Board as its vice chairman. The legislator from Greater Kailash was also a minister during the first stint of the AAP government.

The Delhi council of ministers now has a strength of five, including CM Arvind Kejriwal, who does not hold any portfolios.

Sisodia had resigned from all his 18 posts following his arrest in the alleged excise policy scam. After former Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain`s arrest last year, seven portfolios handled by him were shifted to Sisodia, who was looking after 18 departments when he was arrested. 

Following the resignations of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and minister Satyendar Jain, both currently in Tihar jail in alleged corruption and money laundering cases, respectively, two Cabinet berths had fallen vacant.

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.