Atishi to become first woman minister in Kejriwal Cabinet

India

pti-PTI

Senior
AAP
leader
Atishi,
who
is
set
to
become
the
first
woman
minister
in
the
Arvind
Kejriwal-led
Delhi
Cabinet,
has
been
a
key
member
of
the
team
tasked
with
implementing
the
party’s
educational
reforms
in
the
national
capital.

Atishi,
along
with
AAP
leader
Saurabh
Bharadwaj,
are
the
two
leaders
whose
names
have
been
forwarded
for
appointment
as
ministers
after
Kejriwal’s
trusted
lieutenants
Manish
Sisodia
and
Satyender
Jain,
both
arrested
on
corruption
charges,
resigned
from
their
Cabinet
posts.

Bharadwaj
(43)
is
the
party’s
national
spokesperson
and
currently
serving
as
the
vice-chairman
of
the
Delhi
Jal
Board.

The
two
leaders
are
usually
at
the
forefront
in
interactions
with
media
and
during
various
protests
organised
by
the
party.

Speaking
to
PTI,
Bharadwaj
said,
“The
Centre
wanted
to
stop
the
work
done
in
Delhi
and
we
will
not
let
that
happen.
We
are
thankful
to
the
CM
for
having
faith
in
me
and
Atishi,
and
we
will
continue
to
work
for
the
people
of
Delhi.”

Atishi
(41),
who
represents
the
Kalkaji
constituency
in
the
assembly,
had
contested
the
2019
Lok
Sabha
polls
from
the
East
Delhi
seat
but
she
lost
to
the
BJP’s
Gautam
Gambhir.
Bharadwaj,
who
is
a
three-time
MLA
from
the
Greater
Kailash
assembly
constituency,
has
also
served
as
a
transport
minister
in
the
Delhi
cabinet
during
the
first
stint
of
the
AAP
government.

A
computer
science
engineer,
Bharadwaj
is
also
a
law
graduate
from
the
Osmania
University.
He
has
worked
abroad
for
a
brief
period
of
time
before
the
joining
the
Aam
Aadmi
Party
in
2013.

While
Sisodia,
who
was
handling
18
of
the
total
33
departments
in
the
Delhi
government,
was
arrested
on
Sunday
evening
by
the
CBI
in
the
Delhi
excise
policy
case,
Jain,
currently
lodged
in
Tihar
jail,
was
arrested
by
the
Enforcement
Directorate
in
May
last
year
in
connection
with
a
money
laundering
case.
Jain
continued
to
be
a
minister
in
the
Delhi
government
even
after
his
arrest.