AAP leader Atishi takes charge as eighth chief minister of Delhi

AAP leader Atishi took charge as the eighth chief minister of Delhi on Monday, 23 September, and said she would work like Bharat did by keeping his elder brother Lord Ram's 'khadaun' (wooden slippers) on Ayodhya's throne.

She did not sit on the chair used by Arvind Kejriwal and said that his chair would remain unoccupied in the chief minister's office. She sat on a white chair, which was placed next to Kejriwal's chair.

Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva slammed Atishi, saying it was an "insult" to the post of the chief minister.

Atishi said, "For the last 2 years, the BJP has left no stone unturned in throwing muck on Arvind Kejriwal. He was put in jail for 6 months. He said that he will not sit on the CM chair again until the people of Delhi consider him honest. The court also said that the agency arrested Arvind Kejriwal with malice."

"This chair belongs to Arvind Kejriwal. I am confident that in the elections to be held in February, the people of Delhi will make Arvind Kejriwal the Chief Minister again. Till then, this empty chair will remain here," she said.

Atishi has retained the 13 portfolios she held in the Kejriwal government, including those of education, revenue, finance, power and PWD.

"I will work for four months as the chief minister of Delhi like Bharat did by keeping Lord Ram's khadaun on the throne. Arvind Kejriwal has set an example of dignity in politics by stepping down. The BJP left no stone unturned to tarnish his image," she said after taking charge.

"Kejriwal was granted bail by the Supreme Court, which said his arrest was carried out with ill-intentions. Had there been somebody else, they wouldn't have even thought for a moment and sat on the chief minister's chair, but he chose to resign," she said.

Environment minister Gopal Rai also took charge at the Delhi secretariat.

New entrant Mukesh Ahlawat, who was allotted the portfolios of labour, SC and ST, employment and land and building departments, also took charge at the Delhi secretariat.

The new cabinet headed by Atishi has a long list of pending projects, schemes and new initiatives to be launched in the next few months before Delhi goes to polls in February 2025.