Mukesh Ahalawat Set for Historic Debut in Delhi Cabinet

Mukesh Ahalawat, a 48-year-old Dalit leader, is making his debut in the Delhi cabinet led by Chief Minister-designate Atishi. He replaces Raaj Kumar Anand, who resigned and joined BJP. Ahalawat, co-incharge of AAP's Rajasthan unit, won in 2020 and previously ran as a BSP candidate.

Mukesh Ahalawat, a first-time MLA from the Sultanpur Majra constituency, is poised to make his debut in the Delhi cabinet under Chief Minister-designate Atishi's leadership. The 48-year-old Dalit leader has been chosen to represent his reserved constituency.

Ahalawat steps in to fill the vacancy left by Raaj Kumar Anand, the former Social Welfare Minister, who resigned from the Kejriwal administration and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in April. Anand's resignation came ahead of his move to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Currently serving as the co-incharge of AAP's Rajasthan unit, Ahalawat secured a victory in the 2020 Delhi Assembly elections, defeating BJP candidate Ram Chander Chawriya by a margin of 48,042 votes in the Sultanpur Majra constituency. The businessman, born on November 9, 1975, completed his education up to class 12 at Ravindra Public School, CBSE, in 1994.

Before joining AAP, Ahalawat contested the 2013 elections as a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate but lost to Congress' Jai Kishan. Sultanpur Majra, a suburban assembly seat, falls under the North West Delhi Lok Sabha constituency.

Atishi and her new cabinet are scheduled to be sworn in on September 21. However, their tenure will be short-lived, as Delhi Assembly elections are due in February next year.

(With inputs from agencies.)