Atishi to be Delhi's new CM: LG proposes AAP leader’s swearing-in ceremony on this date

Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has moved the resignation of Arvind Kejriwal as Chief Minister and the claim letter of Atishi to form the government to President Droupadi Murmu, sources said on Wednesday.

The Delhi LG has also proposed September 21 as the date for swearing in of Atishi as Delhi's new Chief Minister.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi, who has staked claim to become the next Delhi Chief Minister, said on Tuesday that she is happy about the trust posed in her by the outgoing CM Arvind Kejriwal but also sad that he has resigned from his post.

Atishi told reporters that she will work to bring back Kejriwal as Chief Minister after the assembly polls, which would be held in the next few months.

"First of all, I would like to thank the popular CM of Delhi, AAP national convener, and my guru - Arvind Kejriwal. He gave me such a huge responsibility and trusted me for it. This can be done only in AAP, only under the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal, that a first-time politician becomes the CM of a state. I come from an ordinary family. Had I been in any other party, perhaps I would not have been given even an election ticket," Atishi said.

Atishi, 43, will be the third woman chief minister of Delhi after Sushma Swaraj and Sheila Dikshit.

She is a prominent AAP leader and served as Advisor to Manish Sisodia when he was Education Minister. AAP leaders said she played a pivotal role in revamping the state of education in government-run schools in the national capital.

Atishi joined AAP at the time of its inception and was a key member of the Manifesto Drafting Committee of the party for the 2013 Assembly election. She has also served as a party spokesperson.

She represents the Kalkaji constituency in the Delhi Assembly and holds the highest number of portfolios in the Delhi government.

Atishi was appointed to the Delhi cabinet in March 2023 in the face of difficulties faced by AAP following arrest of Manish Sisodia in the excise policy case. He has also been released on bail in the case.

Atishi will have her task cut out as she will be key face of AAP as it prepares for assembly polls with aim to come to power again in the national capital.

AAP has demanded early polls to the Delhi assembly. The last assembly polls were held in early 2020.

Earlier on Tuesday, Kejriwal, who is also Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor, resigned as Delhi Chief Minister. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from ANI)

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