Atishi To Succeed Arvind Kejriwal As New Delhi CM

Aam Aadmi Party national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday in a meeting of party MLAs proposed the name of Atishi to be his successor. She was subsequently elected as leader of Delhi AAP Legislative Party, as per sources. Addressing a legislature party meeting at his residence in the national capital, Kejriwal made the proposal and the MLAs have supported him, sources said.

Earlier, Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj dismissed the possibility of the Delhi Chief Minister's wife Sunita Kejriwal taking over. When asked about Arvind Kejriwal's potential successor, Bharadwaj said, “I have no knowledge, whether it will be someone from the council of ministers or from among the MLAs. But we will let you know. As far as I understand the politics of Arvind Kejriwal, I don't think it will be Sunita Kejriwal. She is not interested.”

As he arrived for the meeting at Kejriwal's residence, AAP MLA GopaL Rai told ANI, "Legislative party meeting has been called. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has announced that unless the people support him again and make him win, he will not continue as the CM. Until then the party will choose the CM and the Government will function under the leadership of that CM. Government will be formed in Delhi under the leadership of CM Kejriwal once again".

On Saturday, Kejriwal announced that he would resign and would not resume as the CM until the people of Delhi declared him "honest." He has also called for advancing polls in the national capital to November this year, ahead of the scheduled February elections. Kejriwal stated that if re-elected by the public, it would serve as a "certificate" of his honesty. He added that he would push for early elections, alongside those in Maharashtra.

The announcement by the 54-year-old leader came two days after he was released from the Tihar jail after being granted bail by the Supreme Court in a corruption case related to the alleged Delhi Excise Policy scam.

The apex court also imposed certain conditions on Kejriwal's release, including that he must refrain from making public comments about the case and must attend all hearings before the trial court unless exempted. (ANI)