Arvind Kejriwal takes oath as Delhi Chief Minister

Saturday, 14/02/2015

http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/arvind-kejriwal-takes-oath-as-delhi-chief-minister/41993.html

New Delhi : Taking oath as the eighth Chief Minister of Delhi along with six Cabinet ministers at Ramlila Ground here, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal today said his party was just the medium and ‘God wants us to do something big’.

Kejriwal was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung.

Six other Aam Aadmi Party leaders — Manish Sisodia, Asim Ahmed Khan, Sandeep Kumar, Satyendar Jain, Gopal Rai and Jitender Singh Tomar — were also sworn in as ministers.

Kejriwal is expected to keep the key portfolios of Home, Power and Finance, while giving Education, PWD and Urban Development to his confidante Manish Sisodia who will also be the Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi.

Satyendar Jain, who had handled the Health and Industry portfolios in the earlier AAP-led government, is expected to retain the same portfolio. Gopal Rai, a senior party leader and Political Affairs Committee member of AAP, is tipped be to the next Transport and Labour Minister. Sandeep Kumar, a lawyer by profession, is likely to handle Women and Child Welfare Department and SC and ST Welfare, while Jitender Singh Tomar, also a lawyer, is expected to handle the Law Department. Asim Ahmed Khan is likely to be given the charge of Food and Civil Supplies and Minority Affairs ministries.

In the recent Delhi Assembly elections, the AAP staged a historic victory sweeping 67 of the 70 seats leaving BJP with only 3 seats.

This will be Kejriwal’s second term as Delhi Chief Minister. He had resigned in February last year after running a 49-day government with the support of the Congress.

‘Bharat Mata ki jai’

After taking oath as CM, Kejriwal started his speech with ‘Bharat Mata ki jai’ and ‘Inqualab zindabad’. He thanked people of Delhi and God for giving him complete majority. “I knew people of Delhi love me, but I was not aware they love us so much.

“People from all classes — rich, middle class and poor — voted for us. It is not because of our work but because God wants us to do something big. We are just the medium, God wants us to do something big,” Kejriwal said.

He warned party members and their family against arrogance. “When supporters say we will fight elections in other states, it reeks of arrogance. People defeated the Congress and the BJP because of arrogance. Last year we also fell prey to arrogance when we decided to fight Lok Sabha elections.”

“I will be in Delhi for five years and take care of my responsibility for full five years. No AAP member will take advantage of our position, I am sure. In case any of our member tries to act arrogant or member of any other party impersonates us by wearing AAP cap and takes benefit, please punish him,” Kejriwal said.

Kejriwal promised to eradicate corruption from Delhi in five years. “If anyone asks for bribe, don't say ‘no’. Use your phone to make a recording and we will punish him. We will also start an anti-corruption telephone line and introduce the Jan Lokpal Bill,” he said

Earlier, he drove in a car along with his family from his residence in Ghaziabad. A cavalcade which included his ministerial colleagues and party office-bearers accompanied him.

The historic Ramlila Ground was all decked up for the ceremony. Around 3,000 security personnel drawn from Delhi Police, ITBP, CRPF, CISF and SSB had been deployed at the venue.

A Home Ministry statement yesterday had said the President appointed Kejriwal as the Chief Minister of Delhi with effect from the date he is sworn in.

“The President, on the advice of the Chief Minister, has also appointed Manish Sisodia, Asim Ahmed Khan, Sandeep Kumar, Satyendar Jain, Gopal Rai and Jitender Singh Tomar as ministers of Delhi,” the statement had said.