New Delhi: Shortly after Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal proposed Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi’s name for the Delhi chief minister’s post, she was elected unanimously by legislators.
Atishi has additionally been chosen as leader of the AAP Legislative Party.
Kejriwal picked Atishi at an AAP legislative party meeting that he hosted at his residence in New Delhi. He has met the Delhi Lieutenant Governor and submitted his resignation.
Addressing the media for the first time after being chosen as the leader of the AAP legislature party Atishi said that she does not want the people of Delhi to congratulate her.
“I don’t want the people of Delhi to congratulate me. This is a sad day when the well loved chief minister of Delhi is having to resign. I would urge the people of Delhi to re elect him again as the chief minister in the upcoming elections.”
Later, Atishi met Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena to stake claim to form the government.
The AAP convenor announced his decision to step down as the head of the Delhi government after he was granted bail by the Supreme Court in the liquor policy case. The bail conditions restricted Kejriwal from performing essential duties, like signing papers.
Kejriwal announced his decision to quit on Sunday, September 15. He has requested for elections, originally scheduled for February 2025, to be held in November.
Addressing a press conference after the MLAs’ meeting, Delhi minister Gopal Rai confirmed that Atishi “will have the responsibility” of the Delhi chief minister.
“The BJP has misused agencies to bring down the Delhi government, the AAP has defeated these efforts and stayed united and continued governance. They tried to make Kejriwal resign while he was in jail and to topple the government. But he decided to continue to run the government from jail to defeat their efforts. After coming out of jail he took a decision in favour of the people of Delhi that has never been taken before in the history of India,” he said.
“After coming out of jail Kejriwal decided that while the Supreme Court has released him on bail, he will go to the court of the people and until the people of Delhi elect him he will not be the chief minister. Today at the MLAs meeting it has been unanimously decided, that until the next elections, which we want to be held in October or November, till then Atishi will have the responsibility of being the Delhi chief minister,” Rai added.
Following the announcement, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said that the move will not change AAP’s character.
“Changing the face won’t change Aam Aadmi Party’s character,” said Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva.
“Aam Aadmi Party is indulged in corruption. Irrespective of who the chief minister is, the Aam Aadmi Party has to provide answers on Kejriwal’s corruption and how he looted the people of Delhi.”
Addressing the media for the first time after being chosen as the leader of the AAP legislature party Atishi said that she did not want the people of Delhi to congratulate her.
“I don’t want the people of Delhi to congratulate me. This is a sad day when the well loved chief minister of Delhi is having to resign. I would urge the people of Delhi to re elect him again as the chief minister in the upcoming elections.”
