Atishi to Take Oath as Delhi's New Chief Minister; AAP Announces Cabinet Lineup

Atishi will be sworn in as Delhi's third woman Chief Minister on September 21. Continuing ministers include, Saurabh Bhardwaj, Kailash Gehlot, Gopal Rai, and Imran Hussain. Mukesh Ahlawat joins as a new minister, representing the Dalit community. The cabinet and CM Atishi will take oath together.

The new cabinet under Delhi's future Chief Minister Atishi has been finalized for Thursday. Four ministers from the incumbent Kejriwal cabinet—Saurabh Bhardwaj, Kailash Gehlot, Gopal Rai, and Imran Hussain—will continue in their roles and take oath again. Mukesh Ahlawat, MLA from Sultanpur Majra and representing the Dalit community, will join the cabinet as a new face. One ministerial position remains vacant. The entire cabinet, along with CM Atishi, will take oath on Saturday, September 21.

Earlier, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) announced that MLA Atishi would take oath as the new Chief Minister of Delhi on September 21. "Atishi will take oath as the Chief Minister of Delhi on September 21, and other ministers will also take their oaths alongside her," said the AAP in a statement. Atishi, who has staked her claim to the position, expressed mixed feelings about the change in leadership. She appreciated the trust placed in her by outgoing CM Arvind Kejriwal but also expressed sadness over his resignation. Speaking to the media, she added that she would work hard to bring Kejriwal back as Chief Minister after the upcoming assembly elections. "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.

At 43, Atishi will become the third woman Chief Minister of Delhi, following in the footsteps of Sushma Swaraj and Sheila Dikshit. A prominent leader of AAP, Atishi has played a key role in improving education in Delhi's government-run schools during her tenure as an advisor to former Education Minister Manish Sisodia. Atishi currently represents the Kalkaji constituency in the Delhi Assembly and holds the most portfolios in the Delhi government. She joined the Delhi cabinet in March 2023 and is now set to lead AAP as it prepares for the upcoming assembly polls.

(With inputs from agencies.)