Atishi, Saurabh Bharadwaj sworn in as Delhi ministers

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.

New Delhi:The Delhi cabinet got two new ministers as Aam Aadmi Party MLAs Saurabh Bharadwaj and Atishi were sworn in by Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena on Thursday in the presence of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhur also attended the oath-taking ceremony.

Atishi will handle education, PWD, power and tourism departments, while Bharadwaj will look after health, urban development, water and industries. 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 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. President Droupadi Murmu earlier accepted the resignations of Sisodia and Jain.

LG Saxena had recommended the names of Atishi and Bharadwaj to President Murmu for appointment as Cabinet ministers following a recommendation from Kejriwal for their elevation to the Cabinet. Atishi and Bharadwaj will be attending the Delhi Assembly's Budget Session commencing from March 17 as ministers after their swearing-in on March 9, party sources said.

Bharadwaj has been an MLA of the AAP since 2013 and is currently the vice-chairman of the Delhi Jal Board. He was a minister during the brief first term of the Kejriwal government in 2013. Atishi has been an MLA of the AAP since 2020 and has been associated with the party since its inception. She was an advisor of Sisodia in his education portfolio. (Agency inputs)