Arvind Kejriwal sworn in as Delhi CM, no women representation in new cabinet

Even as the Aam Aadmi Party scripted scintillating win in the just-concluded Delhi polls, the party drew flake for not having a single woman in the new cabinet. This, even as eight AAP women candidates - Atishi Marlena, Rakhi Birla, Raj Kumari Dhillon, Preeti Tomar, Dhanwati Chandela, Parmila Tokas, Bhavna Gaur and Bandana Kumari emerged victorious in the 2020 Assembly polls.

Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday took oath as the Delhi Chief Minister for the third time. Along with him, six ministers took oath namely - Manish Sisodia, Satyender Jain, Gopal Rai, Kailash Gehlot, Imran Hussain, and Rajendra Gautam.

Furthermore, AAP's poll campaign had stressed on women's issues like free bus rides for women, safety, etc. Atishi Marlena, who won the election from Kalkaji, has served as a key advisor to the AAP leader Manish Sisodia primarily on education policies that transformed public school education in the capital. Additionally, MLA Rakhi Birla from Mangolpuri constituency has also failed to come back to the Cabinet in this term even after bagging over 74,100 votes, with a margin of over 30,000 votes and 58 per cent of the vote share.

Apart from these, Preeti Tomar (Tri Nagar), Dhanwati Chandela (Rajouri Nagar), Pramila Tokas (RK Puram), Bhavna Gaur (Palam), and Bandana Kumari (Shalimar Bagh) - the other five who won for AAP-do not figure in the new cabinet. 

READ: Arvind Kejriwal takes oath as Delhi CM for third time at Ramlila Maidan

READ: AAP's Sanjay Singh backs Scindia's 'shield and sword' comment to fulfill poll promises

"Nothing wrong in repeating same cabinet"

Ahead of the oath-taking ceremony, AAP leader Manish Sisodia acknowledged the question of no women in AAP's new cabinet,   said that there is nothing wrong in repeating the same cabinet if Chief Minster wants to.

“People will decide who will be Chief Minister and who will be in cabinet will be decided by CM, If CM thinks the same cabinet should be repeated then there is nothing wrong in it.” “Today is the oath-taking ceremony day, which means we will take oath to do our work with the same honesty and dedication for next five years. We will keep gratitude towards people for electing us for next five years. People of Delhi gave message to the world,” Sisodia further said.

READ: Gopal Rai: "AAP set to expand all over country, will fight local body elections"

READ: 'Aam Aadmi' to 3-time Delhi CM: A look at Arvind Kejriwal's tumultuous journey in politics

(With Inputs from ANI)