Arvind Kejriwal is poised to step down as the Delhi chief minister on Tuesday, with his resignation expected to shake up the political landscape. Kejriwal vowed to resign and not return to his post till he got a "certificate of honesty" from the people amid corruption allegations against him.
The Aam Aadmi Party has lined up a series of meetings to select a new chief minister for Delhi. One such crucial meeting with its political affairs committee is scheduled to be held at the Delhi chief minister's residence on Monday evening, according to PTI reports.
Assembly polls in Delhi are due in February next year. Earlier this day, the AAP said it has "put the ball in BJP's court” by demanding early elections in November, as per the reports from PTI.
Let's look at the top replacement candidates.
Atishi
(Source: Atishi/X)
(Source: Atishi/X)
Atishi currently holds key departments like education and public works. The MLA from Kalkaji also handles other departments like women and child development, tourism, art, culture and language, and power.
A social worker in profession, Atishi is a Chevening and Rhodes Scholar from Oxford. She was a history graduate from St. Stephen's College.
Atishi became minister after Manish Sisodia was arrested in a corruption case linked to Delhi's now-scrapped liquor policy. However, Atishi joined AAP at the time of its inception and played an important role in shaping the party's policies in the early stages of formation. She was the key member of the manifesto drafting committee of the party for the 2013 Assembly election.
Atishi's dominance in the CM race was revealed on Aug. 15 as Kejriwal chose her to hoist the tricolour at the Delhi government's Independence Day event. When Kejriwal and Sisodia were in jail, Atishi articulated the party's position.
Saurabh Bharadwaj
Saurabh Bharadwaj (PTI Photo)
Saurabh Bharadwaj (PTI Photo)
The MLA from Greater Kailash currently holds key ministries like vigilance and health.
A software consultant in profession, Bharadwaj also holds key to the ministries like services, industries, urban development, irrigation and flood control and water.
Bharadwaj had described the Union government's action as "open hooliganism" and criticised it for allegedly misusing agencies to harass the AAP leaders. Like Atishi, Bharadwaj was also named as minister after Sisodia's arrest.
He was a minister in Kejriwal's 49-day government. Bharadwaj is a spokesperson for the AAP and was in front to articulate the party’s position when the top leaders were in jail.
Raghav Chadha
(Source: Raghav Chadha/X)
(Source: Raghav Chadha/X)
Raghav Chadha is a Rajya Sabha MP and the youngest spokesperson of the AAP. As a chartered accountant by profession, he is also the member of the AAP's national executive and political affairs committee. Chadha was also part of the team that drafted the AAP manifesto in 2013, and has been in the AAP since its inception.
Chadha has been an MLA from Rajinder Nagar and played a key role in the AAP's thumping victory in Punjab in the 2022 assembly polls.
Kailash Gahlot
(Source: Kailash Gahlot/X)
(Source: Kailash Gahlot/X)
One of the senior members of AAP in Delhi, Kailash Gahlot holds key portfolios like transport, finance and home affairs. His other ministries are law, justice and legislative affairs, administrative reforms, information technology, revenue, planning, and all other departments not specifically allotted to any minister.
He won his first election to the Delhi Legislative Assembly in February 2015, from the Najafgarh constituency. The MLA from Najafgarh is an advocate and has practiced in both Delhi High Court and Supreme Court. Between 2005 and 2007, he served as a member executive in the High Court Bar Association.
Sanjay Singh
(Source: Sanjay Singh/X)
(Source: Sanjay Singh/X)
Sanjay Singh, a member of the political affairs committee and national executive of the AAP, is a Rajya Sabha MP since 2018.
The social activist-turned-politician was involved in creating the AAP in 2012. He was in charge of the Punjab state unit of the party during the 2017 Assembly election. Under his leadership, the party became the largest opposition party in Punjab.
Like Kejriwal and Sisodia, Singh was arrested in connection to a corruption case linked to the Delhi liquor policy case and is currently out on bail.
Gopal Rai
(Source: Gopa Rai/X)
(Source: Gopa Rai/X)
Gopal Rai is a cabinet minister from Delhi. He leads the ministries of development, general administration department, environment, and forest and wildlife. Rai is also the convener of the Delhi state unit of the AAP. After taking position as the executive Delhi convenor, Rai initiated an organisational overhaul.
The MLA from Babarpur was a student leader at Lucknow University. He has a postgraduate degree in Sociology from Lucknow University.
His ministry's decision to raise the minimum wages in Delhi was said to be a historic move.
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