Arvind Kejriwal Resigns as Delhi Chief Minister; Atishi to Take Over

Arvind Kejriwal officially submitted his resignation as Chief Minister of Delhi to Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena on Tuesday. Following this, Saxena has proposed September 21 as the date for Atishi‘s swearing-in ceremony as the new chief minister of Delhi. Atishi’s assertion to form the government is currently pending approval from President Droupadi Murmu.

Upon acceptance by the President, Atishi will be formally invited to form the government. After the swearing-in, a special session of the Delhi Assembly is expected to be held from September 26 to 27 where Atishi will likely be required to prove her majority.

Following Kejriwal’s resignation, he will relinquish all government facilities provided to him, including his residence and Z-plus security, within 15 days, according to sources within the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The AAP Convener, who recently left jail, will focus on campaigning efforts alongside Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and other senior party leaders for the upcoming Haryana Assembly polls.

In addition, the current political atmosphere in Delhi is tense due to comments made by BJP and Congress leaders. Congress workers have been protesting against BJP Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu for his remarks on opposition leader Rahul Gandhi. A complaint was filed at the Tughlak Road Police Station accusing Bittu and other leaders of making threats against Gandhi.

Meanwhile, there are also concerns regarding empty positions within the New Delhi Municipal Council as new members nominated by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs assume their roles. The Council remains without key non-official members as their appointments are still pending.

Tragedy also struck the Karol Bagh area this week when a building collapsed, leading to an emergency response involving five fire tenders. Atishi, in her capacity as chief minister-designate, has directed local authorities to assist the affected residents and investigate the incident.

With Kejriwal stepping down, Atishi has been tasked with dual responsibilities: ensuring that key schemes like free electricity and education continue and addressing challenges posed by the BJP. Former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia emphasized that Atishi must focus on making Kejriwal the chief minister once more while fulfilling these responsibilities.