New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday gave nod for the appointment of Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal as Delhi Chief Minister. President returned file to the MHA which will now be send to Lt Governor.
45-year-old Kejriwal, a former Indian Revenue Service officer, had on Monday met Lt Governor Najeeb Jung and handed over him a letter staking claim to form government after his party's Political Affairs Committee (PAC) met earlier and decided to take the plunge. A Magsaysay award winner, a one-time RTI activist and a close associate of Anna Hazare during his campaign for a Janlokpal Bill, Kejriwal will be sworn-in in a public ceremony in the Ramlila Maidan, the venue of Anna Hazare's anti-corruption movement two years ago.
He said he would table a confidence motion in the assembly and "let's see what happens". This will be the capital's first minority government.
Born in Haryana and a resident of Kausambi in nearby Ghaziabad district of Uttar Pradesh, the IIT-Kharagpur graduate in Mechanical Engineering, defeated incumbent Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit in New Delhi by a huge margin of over 25,000 votes.
Wobbly govt likely in Delhi
Politcal greenhorn Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress have gone into a strange relationship, where the two parties will continue to attack each-other despite being part of the same government in Delhi.
Even before the swearing-in ceremony, sparks have begun to fly. Congratulating AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal for staking claim to form government, outgoing CM Sheila Dikshit said: “Now the onus is on him to fulfil all the promises he made during the elections.”Making it clear that the Congress had not given “unconditional” support to the AAP, she said: “If they fail to perform, we will withdraw our support.”
She expressed doubts whether the new-born party will be able to fulfil all its promises like cutting power tariff by 50 per cent and providing 700 litres of free water daily to each household.
The AAP was too skeptical of the Congress’ support and was unsure about the longevity of the ministry as its leaders feel that going by the “track record” of the century-old party, it is to be seen how long it will last.
Making it clear that AAP won’t accept any of the Congress’ conditions and implement its own agenda and fulfil promises, AAP leader Prashant Bhushan said, “If Congress and BJP join hands to pull down our government, it’s their wish.”
He said that AAP, with 28 seats in the 70-member Assembly, has decided to form the government after taking the views of the people, who overwhelmingly voted in favour of government formation with outside support from eight-member Congress.
The BJP, which despite being the largest party in the Assembly with 31 seats failed to form the government, was too critical of this politcal partnership. BJP Chief Ministerial candidate Harshvardhan said the AAP had “betrayed the people of Delhi” by accepting support from the Congress, which it had accused of being the most corrupt.
Sisodia likely to get key position
As the Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal prepares to form the government, some of the names of the party leaders doing the round for cabinet berths are those of Manish Sisodia and Vinod Kumar Binny.
Sisodia, a trusted aide of Kejriwal, came to prominence during Anna Hazare’s movement for Jan Lokpal Bill in 2011. The 41-year-old journalist turned-actvist-turned-politician defeated the BJP’s Nakul Bhardwaj by over 11,000 votes from Pat-parganj constituency.
Binny, 40, who defeated Delhi health minister A.K. Walia in Laxmi Nagar by a margin of around 8,000 votes, is also being tipped to get a berth in the cabinet. Saurabh Bhardwaj, 34, an engineering graduate who also studied law, is likely to be inducted in Mr Kejriwal’s cabinet. For-mer journalist Rakhi Birla, 26, is also among probable ministers.
Next: Kejriwal refuses to take ‘Z’ security, invokes God
Kejriwal refuses to take ‘Z’ security, invokes God
New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal, soon to take the oath as Delhi CM, on Monday refused Z-category protection offered to him by the Delhi police, saying “God is my biggest security”.
The police security wing had written to him saying as Delhi CM he was entitled to “Z” category security, and it would be provided to him.
Mr Kejriwal wrote back: “Thank you for offering me security, but as I have already informed earlier, I don't need any security. I don't need any escort of PSOs. God is my biggest security.”
A police official, seeking anonymity, said though Kejriwal had refused security cover, the police would nevertheless provide him protection.
Kejri will return to Ramlila for oath
Aam Admi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal on Monday requested Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung to allow him to take oath on December 26 at Ramlila Maidan, from where the anti-corruption movement had started.
In an half-an-hour meeting with Jung, during which Kejriwal conveyed his party’s decision to form a government in Delhi, the AAP leader also made his requested on taking the oath Mr Kejriwal said, “The L-G said the date would be finalised after seeking permission from the President.”
He said his top priority would be to fulfil all the promises he had made to the people of Delhi. Asked about his first priority, Kejriwal said: “Bijli (electricity) and paani (water). We will sincerely work to fulfill all our promises.”
The AAP had claimed in its manifesto it would slash electricity tariffs by 50 per cent and would provide 700 litres of water free of cost to each household every day.
Sources said the AAP legal team has already drafted a strong anti-corruption Lokpal Bill. “But we want to name it the Anna Hazare Lokpal Bill as it will be a model bill against corruption. All we want is Anna’s permission to use his name,” an AAP leader told this newspaper, requesting anonymity.
It is reliably learnt all those present at an AAP meeting were told in no certain terms by their leaders to start work in their respective constituencies. Kejriwal told them they should be fully prepared to go in for a fresh Assembly election in Delhi.
