Sisodia's portfolios given to Gahlot, Anand till new ministers' appointment

Delhi Revenue Minister Kailash Gahlot has been given the additional charge of finance and power while Social Welfare Minister Raaj Kumar Anand will be handling education and health departments till new ministers are appointed in the Cabinet, officials said on Tuesday.

The announcement was made on Tuesday hours after Delhi ministers Manish Sisodia and Satyendra Jain, arrested on corruption charges, resigned from the Arvind Kejriwal-led cabinet.

According to officials, Kejriwal has accepted the resignations of the two leaders, who played a pivotal role in implementing his governance agenda of good education and health facilities in the national capital.

Sisodia was handling 18 of the total 33 departments in the Delhi government. His portfolios have been divided between Gahlot and Anand as a temporary arrangement.

"Till the time new ministers are appointed, the allotment of additional portfolios for the interim period will see Gahlot taking care of finance, planning, public works department, power, home, urban development, irrigation and flood control, and water along with his existing departments.

"Raaj Kumar Anand will be taking care of education, land and building, vigilance, services, tourism, art culture and language, labour, employment, health and industries in addition to his existing portfolios," said an official.

Hours after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal accepted the resignation of Sisodia and Jain on Tuesday, AAP national spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj said two new ministers will be appointed "very soon".

The resignations came minutes after the SC refused to entertain the bail plea of Sisodia, who is in CBI custody in the now-scrapped excise policy case, saying it would set a "wrong precedent" and efficacious alternative remedies are available to him.

While Sisodia was arrested on Sunday evening by CBI after nearly nine hours of questioning, Jain, currently lodged in Tihar, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in May last year in connection with a money laundering case.

However, Jain continued to be a minister in the Delhi government without any portfolios. Jain's portfolios, including health, home and urban development were handed over to Sisodia.