AAP leader Manish Sisodia urged people on Monday to vote for his party in next year's Assembly polls in Delhi while asserting that only the Kejriwal-Sisodia combine can build schools in the national capital. During a foot march in Dwarka, he also said Arvind Kejriwal and the AAP's election symbol "broom" were the "real symbols" of honesty. The former Delhi deputy CM launched the "padyatra" on August 16, days after coming out of Tihar where he was lodged for 17 months in the excise policy case. The aim of the march is to reach out to people in all 70 Assembly constituencies in Delhi. "Only Manish and Kejriwal's duo can build schools... Kejriwal and the broom (party symbol) are the real symbols of honesty," he said before beginning the march in the Dwarka Assembly segment. "Whenever I see a photo of Kejriwal Ji, the one thought that comes to mind is that from Kashmir to Kanyakumari he is the symbol of honesty. "We have worked with honesty... worked with courage... there was a lot of
AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Monday sharpened his attack on the BJP government at the Centre, alleging that they wanted to "break" him in jail and make him join the NDA. "They don't know that I am from Haryana. You can break anyone, but not Haryanawaley," said Kejriwal during a roadshow in Dabwali in Sirsa district ahead of the assembly polls in the state. The AAP chief said the BJP was scared of his honesty and alleged that the party put him in jail in a "fake" case to "sully" his image. "They wanted to break me and they repeatedly asked me to join the Bharatiya Janata Party, National Democratic Alliance...I did not break and after coming out of jail, I am before you today," Kejriwal said at the roadshow held in support of Kuldeep Singh, the party's candidate from the Dabwali assembly seat. The former Delhi chief minister claimed that the BJP used "various tactics" to "break him". "They stopped my medicines. I am a diabetic but they stopped my insulin. My kidney would
AAP leader Atishi, who took the oath of office on Saturday, took charge as the eighth chief minister of Delhi on Monday. The Delhi Assembly's session will be held on September 26 and 27. Atishi has retained the 13 portfolios she held in the Kejriwal government, including those of education, revenue, finance, power and PWD. "I will work for four months as the chief minister of Delhi like Bharat did by keeping Lord Ram's Khadaun on the throne. Arvind Kejriwal has set an example of dignity in politics by stepping down. The BJP left no stone unturned to tarnish his image," she said after taking charge. Atish sat on a different chair as used by Kejriwal. Saurabh Bharadwaj has eight departments under him, the highest after Atishi, including those of health, tourism, art and culture. New entrant Mukesh Ahlawat has got the portfolio of labour, SC and ST, employment and land and building departments. Gopal Rai has been given the portfolio of development, general administration department,
Senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia on Sunday dubbed his relationship with the party's national convener Arvind Kejriwal as that of Lord Ram and Laxman and lashed at the BJP saying no "Ravan" can separate them. Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva hit back, saying Sisodia was the "king of drama" and was trying to portray himself as Laxman ahead of Ramlila next month. At Kejriwal's first 'Janta ki Adalat' rally at Jantar Mantar here following his resignation as Delhi chief minister, Sisodia alleged the BJP wanted to separate him from Arvind Kejriwal but no "Ravan has the power to separate Laxman from Lord Ram". "As long as Arvind Kejriwal keeps fighting this battle as Ram against the Ravan of dictatorship, I will stand by his side as Laxman," he said. Sisodia asserted that he would not hold the post of deputy chief minister or education minister in the Delhi government unless people certify him as honest. Kejriwal resigned as Delhi chief minister post recently, saying he would hold the p
Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said that he would move out of his official residence during the upcoming Navratri festival that begins on October 3. In his first public address after tendering his resignation on September 17, the AAP chief also hit out at the BJP for allegedly implicating him in a false case and asserted that he cannot live with the "stain of dishonesty". "I cannot even live, let alone work, with the stigma of being dishonest. If I were dishonest, would I have made electricity and bus travel free for women? Would I have improved government schools and hospitals?" he asked the gathering. Released on bail from Tihar jail on September 13 after over five months in prison in connection with the excise policy case, Kejriwal said that he joined politics to serve the country and not for any greed for power or post. Asserting that for the last 10 years, the AAP ran government in Delhi with utmost honesty and gave facilities to people like free water a
BJP leaders on Saturday extended their best wishes to Atishi on taking oath as chief minister of Delhi but said the people would not gain anything from the face change and they have no expectation from the AAP government. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva, in a statement, said, "She has been unsuccessful as a minister and the people of Delhi have no expectations from her government." "With Atishi becoming chief minister, only the face of the government has changed, not its character. Corruption, neglect and chaos will persist," he claimed. In her first remarks after taking oath on Saturday, Chief Minister Atishi hit out at the BJP for hatching a "conspiracy" against her predecessor Arvind Kejriwal and urged the people of the capital to ensure that the AAP supremo returns to the post after the Assembly polls due early next year. BJP MP Manoj Tiwari congratulated Atishi on becoming chief minister and said that he expected her to focus on the "dilapidated" civic infrastructure in
New Delhi Chief Minister Atishi will retain all the 13 portfolios, including education, revenue, finance, power and PWD, that she held in the previous government in the national capital headed by Arvind Kejriwal. A proposal from the chief minister for allocation of work among the ministers of her cabinet has been approved by Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena, officials said on Saturday. Atishi's predecessor Kejriwal did not hold any portfolio. Atishi, the eighth chief minister of Delhi, has retained four ministers from the previous government -- Saurabh Bharadwaj, Gopal Rai, Kailash Gahlot and Imran Hussain. First-time MLA from Sultanpur Majra Mukesh Ahlawat is a new member in her cabinet. Bharadwaj will retain his previous portfolios and also have the charge of the social welfare and cooperative departments that were earlier held by Raaj Kumar Anand, who resigned in April. His other portfolios include health, urban development, irrigation and tourism. Bharadwaj will have eight ...
Atishi became Delhi's youngest CM at 43 on Saturday, days after Arvind Kejriwal's resignation. Her tenure is expected to be short, ending with the Assembly term in February
Mayawati became the first Dalit woman to hold the post, meanwhile, Syeda Anwara Taimur was the first Muslim woman
The swearing-in ceremony of AAP leader Atishi as Delhi chief minister is expected to take place at Raj Niwas on Saturday evening, officials said. The official details of the timing of the oath ceremony are awaited as the process for gazette notification for resignation of outgoing chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, formation of the new government and oath of the new chief minister are still underway, they said. "The oath ceremony is expected to be held late Saturday afternoon or in the evening, after all the formalities are completed," the officials said. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) sources claimed that the ceremony may be held around 4.30 pm on Saturday. There was, however, no clarity if Atishi will take oath along with her council of ministers. The swearing-in ceremony is likely to be a low-key affair as the mood in the party is not upbeat because of Kejriwal's resignation and also because of the delay in approvals, leaving little time for preparations, said an AAP leader. After Kejriwa
AAP MP Raghav Chadha said that as the leader of a national party, he is entitled to government-provided accommodation and the Centre should grant him that
AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Friday claimed that the next government in Haryana cannot be formed without the support of his party. Targeting the BJP, he claimed that the entire state wants "badlaav" (change). Joining the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP's) campaign in Haryana, the former Delhi chief minister said people will oust the BJP in the October 5 state assembly polls. Accompanied by AAP's Haryana unit chief Sushil Gupta, Kejriwal held a road show in the Jagadhri constituency in Yamunanagar district in favour of his party candidate Adarsh Pal. AAP is contesting the Haryana polls on its own after its talks with the Congress over a seat-share agreement broke down. Addressing the crowds during the road show in the afternoon, Kejriwal said entire Haryana wants "badlaav" this time. "AAP is getting so many seats... I calculated after reaching here... we are getting so many seats that the next government in Haryana cannot be formed without AAP's support. In entire Haryana, the f
AAP designated Chief Minister Atishi warns of power cuts and high electricity prices like BJP-led UP, without Arvind Kejriwal's leadership
Projecting its national convener Arvind Kejriwal as the son of the soil, the Aam Aadmi Party is hoping to make a mark in the assembly polls in Haryana where it has not tasted any electoral success yet. With caste equations playing a key role in the electoral success of a political party in Haryana, the AAP is asking people to give it a chance in the assembly polls as they have already given opportunity to all other major political parties. "Give a chance to Arvind Kejriwal. If he works for the people then vote for him next time, otherwise do not vote for him," AAP's national general secretary (organisation) Sandeep Pathak said. People of Haryana will decide whether they want the same government which is running till now or they want 'badlav' (change), added Pathak, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP . If people feel they want change, then they will definitely make us win and they will decide how many seats the AAP gets in Haryana, he further said. "The AAP is the voice of every person i
Atishi will be required to prove her majority in the Delhi Assembly during a session scheduled for September 26-27
On Tuesday, Arvind Kejriwal resigned from the CM post of Delhi, announcing that Atishi will succeed him. The AAP chief has vowed to return as CM only when people elect him
Arvind Kejriwal is a politician who probably likes to catch people unawares. Beset by charges of corruption, the AAP supremo resigned as Delhi chief minister on Tuesday and sought a referendum on his politics of honesty, the second time he has done so in his 11-year political career. Two days after he was released from Tihar Jail in the excise policy graft case, Kejriwal took everyone by complete surprise when he announced on Sunday he would resign as chief minister and return only if people give him a "certificate of honesty" in the upcoming Delhi Assembly polls. Ever the politician with an eye on theatrical effect, he also sought early polls in the city. Clever politics or foolish overreach. The jury will be out on whether Kejrwial played his cards wisely or miscalculated the risk till elections, due in February, are held. But the 55-year-old, who tendered his resignation to Lt Governor V K Saxena on Tuesday after picking senior AAP leader Atishi as his successor in the post, is .
Aam Aadmi Party has called for Assembly elections in Delhi to be held in November, at the same time as Maharashtra, instead of February when the party's term as state govt ends
Haryana Assembly elections: Congress leader Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa announced that the Congress party will not form any alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Haryana
Swati Maliwal criticised Aam Aadmi Party's choice of Atishi as Delhi Chief Minister; claims her family fought against Afzal Guru's hanging