Atishi to be new Delhi chief minister, Kejriwal to tender resignation

SENIOR AAP leader Atishi will be Delhi’s new chief minister, the party unanimously agreed on Tuesday after Arvind Kejriwal proposed her name as his successor in a meeting of the party's legislators.

The 43-year-old currently holds 14 portfolios, including finance, education and revenue and was amongst those holding the fort while Kejriwal was in jail, will be the third woman chief minister of Delhi after Congress’ Sheila Dikshit and BJP’s Sushma Swaraj.

Kejriwal will meet Lt Governor V K Saxena at Raj Niwas at 4.30 pm to tender his resignation as chief minister, paving the way for Atishi's appointment as his successor.

"He will inform the LG about Atishi being the new leader of AAP's legislative party in the Delhi Assembly," a party leader said.

After the resignation, a delegation of AAP legislators will meet the governor to stake claim for formation of a new government led by Atishi, party leader Gopal Rai told reporters.

Though Atishi was a frontrunner for the post and considered close to both Kejriwal and his second in command Manish Sisodia, the speculation over who would succeed him was intense.

Ending the debate, Kejriwal proposed the name of the Kalkaji legislator at a meeting of the AAP legislative party and it was accepted unanimously.

Party leaders said the Delhi Assembly will be convened on September 26 and 27.

Surprise resignation

In a surprise decision two days after he was released on bail from Tihar Jail, Kejriwal on Sunday announced that he would resign as chief minister and would only return if people give him a "certificate of honesty" in the upcoming Delhi Assembly polls. He also sought early polls in the city.

The assembly's term ends on February 23 next year and elections are expected to be held sometime early February.

Atishi, given credit for many of the AAP government's achievements in the education sector, was inducted into the Delhi cabinet in March last year and has been playing a crucial role both in the government as well as the party when AAP convener Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 in connection with the excise policy case.

The daughter of Delhi University professors Vijay Singh and Tripta Wahi, Atishi did her schooling from Springdales School and went on to graduate from St Stephen’s College. She did her Masters from Oxford University.

The BJP on Monday said Kejriwal's decision to resign as chief minister was borne out of compulsion and not driven by principle.

The saffron party described his move as "drama" and a "confession of crime" and wondered if he had offered to quit because of infighting in AAP.

Sheila Dikshit was Delhi's longest serving chief minister of Delhi, holding office for 15 years from 1998 to 2013. Swaraj ruled Delhi for 52 days from October 12, 1998.

'Sad Kerjriwal had to quit'

In her first remarks after being designated the next chief minister of Delhi, senior AAP leader Atishi on Tuesday said she was sad that party supremo Arvind Kejriwal was resigning from the post, and added that she will work towards bringing him back as CM.

"I will work with one goal for the next few months to bring back Kejriwal on chief minister's post. I will work as chief minister under Arvind Kejriwal's guidance and protect the people of Delhi," Atishi said addressing a press conference.

She requested her party MLAs to not congratulate her as it was a "sad occasion".

"Kejriwal trusted me, made me an MLA, then a minister and now chief minister. I am thankful to him. A first-time politician can only get such opportunities in AAP. Had I been in some other party, I wouldn't even have got a ticket to contest polls," she added.

"I am happy, yet I am extremely sad that my elder brother is tendering his resignation today. Do not garland me or congratulate me as its a sad moment that Kejriwal is resigning as Delhi chief minister," she said.

Atishi added that said people are quite angry about Kejriwal's resignation.

She said his resignation was unparalleled in the country's history, and added that she will work for the next few months with the goal of bringing back Kejriwal as chief minister.

Atishi will be 'dummy': Maliwal

Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal on Tuesday claimed that AAP leader Atishi, who has been chosen as Delhi's new chief minister, will be a "dummy" CM.

Reacting to the allegations, AAP leader Dilip Pandey said if Maliwal has a little bit of shame, she should quit the Upper House seat.

"Today, it is a very sad day for Delhi. A woman is going to be the chief minister of Delhi whose family fought for terrorist Afzal Guru in order to save him from capital punishment.

"Her parents sent mercy petition to the President of India several times that Guru should not be hanged, he is innocent and has become the victim of a political conspiracy," Maliwal alleged.

She further alleged, "Today Atishi will become the chief minister, but we all know that she will be a dummy CM."

Reacting to Maliwal's allegations, Timarpur MLA Dilip Pandey stated that Maliwal is a person who takes ticket from the AAP to go to Rajya Sabha, but takes the script from the BJP to speak.

"I want to say that if she (Maliwal) has a little bit of shame, she should give up her AAP's Rajya Sabha ticket and should resign from the post of member of Parliament. She should ask for ticket from the BJP for the Rajya Sabha if she has a desire to be there," Pandey said.

BJP calls it face-saver

Changing the face of the chief minister will not change the character of the AAP, the BJP said on Tuesday, insisting that the Arvind Kejriwal-led party is still answerable for 10 years of corruption under its rule in Delhi.

The Bharatiya Janata Party's reaction came after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said it will stake a claim to form a new government under senior party leader Atishi following Kejriwal's resignation from the post in the evening.

"'Chehara badalane se AAP ka charitra nahi badalega' (changing the face does not change AAP's character)... Considering Kejriwal's 10 years of corruption, whoever is the CM will have to tell people how they looted the people of Delhi," Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said.

"They have indulged in corruption in every department and now the people will give them an answer for that corruption," he added.

Hitting out at Kejriwal, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonwalla said, "Earlier we had a chief minister operating from jail who then became a chief minister on bail. Now it is being said that a proxy chief minister, a lame duck, is being brought at the helm".

The AAP leaders have said that the Delhi chief minister's chair belongs to Arvind Kejriwal and it will remain so, he alleged.

"This means the face will change, not the character…From de-jure chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal will become a de-facto chief minister," Poonwalla said.

He claimed that the AAP's character will not change with Atishi replacing Kejriwal as Delhi's chief minister.

"It's because there is corruption in every department coming under Atishi. There is education scam, water scam, DJB (Delhi Jal Board) scam, 'Sheesh Mahal' scam and various other scams," the BJP leader alleged.

"Atishi was the (AAP's) in-charge in Goa where money made through liquor scam was used" in the state assembly elections, he claimed. (PTI)