Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is expected induct AAP MLAs Atishi Marley and Saurabh Bhardwaj into the Cabinet to replace Manish Sisodia and Satyendra Jain, who resigned on Tuesday after their arrests in separate corruption cases.
Kejriwal has recommended names of Marley and Bhardwaj to Delhi Lieutenant Governor for their induction into the Cabinet. The LG in turn has forwarded it to President of India for the final nod before swearing both of them in the government as ministers.
If made minister, AAP national spokesperson and MLA from Greater Kailash, Saurabh Bhardwaj, will return to power after his stint when AAP came to power for the first time in Delhi. As of now, he is Vice-Chairman of the Delhi Jal Board. Atishi, the MLA from Kalkaji constituency, is said to be close to Delhi CM. She, however, had lost 2019 Lok Sabha polls from the East Delhi seat to BJP candidate and former cricketer Gautam Gambhir.
Meanwhile, ministers Raaj Kumar Anand and Kailash Gahlot have been given additional charges of the portfolios that fell vacant on Sisodia and Jain’s resignation. While Sisodia was picked up by the CBI on Sunday in the Delhi excise policy case, Jain remained a minister without portfolio since his last year’s arrest in another corruption case.
Gahlot has been handed over the additional charge including of finance and public works department while Anand will also look after education and health, among others.