Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: AAP MLA Mukesh Ahlawat will be the new addition to the Delhi Cabinet under the leadership of Chief Minister-designate Atishi, who will take the oath of office on September 21. Ahlawat, representing Sultanpur Majra, joins four other retained ministers from Arvind Kejriwal’s outgoing Council of Ministers, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) announced on Thursday.
The retained ministers include Gopal Rai, Saurabh Bharadwaj, Kailash Gahlot, and Imran Hussain. Atishi, who holds 13 key portfolios in the current government, will lead the Cabinet as Chief Minister. She will be taking over from Kejriwal following his resignation earlier this week.
New Face in Delhi Cabinet
Mukesh Ahlawat, a first-time MLA who won the Sultanpur Majra constituency in 2020 with a margin of over 48,000 votes, has been selected to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of social welfare minister Raaj Kumar Anand, who quit the party in April. Ahlawat’s entry into the Cabinet marks a new chapter as he prepares to take on his first major administrative role.
Experienced Ministers Retained
Atishi, who has been handling important portfolios like finance, revenue, PWD, and education, will continue to play a central role in the Delhi government. Her experience in managing multiple departments was one of the key reasons for her selection as Kejriwal’s successor.
The four retained ministers have proven experience in various fields. Gopal Rai continues to oversee the environment, development, and general administration, while Saurabh Bharadwaj remains in charge of health, tourism, and urban development. Kailash Gahlot retains portfolios such as transport, home, and women and child development, and Imran Hussain will continue to manage food and supplies.
New Government’s Focus
With limited time before the Delhi Assembly elections in February 2025, the new Cabinet is expected to fast-track important policies and schemes, including the Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana, Electric Vehicle Policy 2.0, and the doorstep delivery of services.
The tenure of this new government will be brief, but the team’s focus will be on delivering on these pending policies amidst the challenges the previous government faced with the Delhi Lieutenant Governor over governance issues.
The oath-taking ceremony will be held at Raj Niwas, and while it is expected to be a modest affair, it will mark the beginning of a new leadership under Atishi. She has described Kejriwal’s resignation as an “extremely sad moment” for the party.
