New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday appointed Aam Admi Party MLAs Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj as ministers in the Delhi cabinet on the advice of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, with effect from the date they are sworn in, stated Ministry of Home Affairs. Kejriwal had forwarded the names to the Lieutenant Governor for their appointment to the Cabinet. The development came after the President accepted the resignation of AAP ministers Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain on Tuesday. Atishi represents the Kalkaji constituency and has been a key member of Sisodia's education team. She had also contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from the East Delhi constituency and lost to BJP's Gautam Gambhir. Bhardwaj, the party's national spokesperson, had served the Delhi Jal Board as its vice chairman. The legislator from Greater Kailash was also a minister during the first stint of the AAP government. The Delhi council of ministers now has a strength of five, including CM Arvind Kejriwal, who doesn't hold any portfolios. Sisodia had resigned from his all 18 posts following his arrest in the alleged excise policy scam. After former Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain's arrest last year, seven portfolios handled by him were shifted to Sisodia, who was looking after 18 departments when he was arrested. He is now lodged in Tihar's jail after Rouse Avenue Court on Monday sent him to judicial custody till March 20. Sisodia had resigned from his all 18 posts following his arrest in the alleged excise policy scam.
