When Atishi takes oath as Delhi chief minister on Saturday, she will be joined by other senior AAP leaders and a new entrant – Mukesh Ahlawat.
Who is Mukesh Ahlawat?
Mukesh Ahlawat is the Dalit face of Aam Aadmi Party. Ahlawat is a first-time lawmaker from the reserved seat of Sultanpur Majra since 2020. In the 2020 assembly polls, he defeated former minister Sandeep Kumar who was removed from AAP in 2016 over a compromising video showing him with a woman.
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In 2008 and 2013, the Dalit leader had unsuccessfully contested as a BSP candidate. He joined AAP in 2017. He was made the chairman of the district development committee the same year. Currently, he is the party's co-in-charge for Rajasthan.
Why did AAP induct Mukesh Ahlawat in Atishi cabinet?
Ahlawat's entry into the Delhi cabinet comes following the resignation of Social Welfare Minister Raaj Kumar Anand, a Dalit leader who contested on BSP ticket in the Lok Sabha elections. He joined BJP in July. Another AAP Dalit leader Rajendra Pal Gautam joined the Congress.
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AAP's decision to induct Ahlawat into the cabinet is seen as a strategy to woo Dalit votes in the upcoming Delhi assembly polls early next year. In 2020, AAP had won all the 12 SC-reserved seats in Delhi.
AAP has not revealed the portfolios assigned to the ministers. But Ahlawat is likely to get Social Welfare department.
"I am very thankful to Arvind Kejriwal ji and Chief Minister-designate Atishi for giving me this opportunity," Ahlawat said, "I will fulfill my responsibility to serve the people and also work hard in my constituency and across the city to make Kejriwalji CM again."
Besides Ahlawat, senior AAP leaders such as Gopal Rai, Kailash Gahlot, Imran Hussain and Saurabh Bharadwaj will also be sworn in along with Atishi.