Atishi Takes Oath, Becomes Delhi's Third Woman Chief Minister

Senior AAP leader Atishi was administered oath as the eighth Chief Minister of Delhi by Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena on Saturday.

Saxena administered the oath of office and secrecy to Atishi. She was chosen as the leader of the legislature party earlier this week, after her predecessor Arvind Kejriwal decided to resign.

Senior AAP leaders Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia were also present at the swearing-in event.

Atishi is Delhi's third woman chief minister after Congress' Sheila Dikshit and BJP's Sushma Swaraj.

She also becomes the 17th woman to hold the post of chief minister in independent India.

Atishi, however, will have a brief tenure in office as assembly elections in the national capital are due in February.

Earlier this week, Atishi was chosen as the leader of the legislature party after Kejriwal made an unexpected announcement that he would resign as chief minister and return to the post only if Delhi's people give him a "certificate of honesty" in the assembly polls likely to be held early next year.

Atishi and AAP leaders Gopal Rai, Imran Hussain, Kailash Gahlot and Saurabh Bharadwaj visited Kejriwal's residence in Civil Lines before the swearing-in ceremony scheduled for 4.30 pm.

Mukesh Ahlawat, a first-time MLA from Sultanpur Majra, who will be a new face in Atishi's cabinet, also met the former chief minister.

According to an AAP leader, the ceremony will be a low-key affair as the mood in the party is not upbeat because of Kejriwal's resignation and also the delays in approvals, leaving little time for preparations.

The officials at the lieutenant governor's office on Friday evening said President Droupadi Murmu has appointed Atishi as the chief minister of Delhi from the date of her being sworn in and has also accepted Arvind Kejriwal's resignation.