Mukesh Ahlawat joins Atishi Cabinet, Kailash Gahlot to remain: Sources

PTC News Desk: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Mukesh Ahlawat is set to be sworn in as a minister in Delhi Chief Minister-designate Atishi’s cabinet on Saturday. Representing the Sultanpur Majra Assembly constituency, Ahlawat will join the Delhi government as a key Dalit leader from the North West Delhi region.

Ahlawat, who first contested and won the Delhi Assembly elections in 2020, garnered 48,042 votes in Sultanpur Majra, succeeding Sandeep Kumar, the former minister for the welfare of Scheduled Castes. His induction into the cabinet fills the position left vacant by the resignation of Delhi’s social welfare minister, Raaj Kumar Anand, who stepped down and left the party in April.

The cabinet will also retain four other Delhi ministers: Kailash Gahlot, Saurabh Bhardwaj, Gopal Rai, and Imran Hussain. The appointment of Ahlawat marks a significant move for the AAP as he brings valuable representation from the Dalit community.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Ahlawat’s name was considered for the North West Delhi seat. However, due to the election alliance, this seat was allocated to the Congress party.

The Delhi government’s Council of Ministers will comprise seven members, including the Chief Minister. The name of the seventh member is still pending announcement.

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Atishi, who will be the lone woman minister in the Delhi Cabinet, was unanimously chosen by AAP MLAs for the Chief Minister’s position on Tuesday. This selection came after Arvind Kejriwal’s resignation from the role earlier this week, which occurred shortly after his release from Tihar Jail in connection with the Delhi liquor policy scandal.

Initially, Atishi was scheduled to be sworn in during a special Delhi Assembly session on September 26-27. However, following a proposal by Lt. Governor VK Saxena, the swearing-in ceremony has been advanced to September 21.

Atishi’s term as Chief Minister will be relatively short, with the next Delhi Assembly elections expected to take place in early 2025.

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