Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Jitender Singh Tomar, Asim Ahmed Khan, Gopal Rai, Satyendra Jain, took charge as cabinet ministers after party chief Arvind Kejriwal was sworn-in as the eighth Chief Minister of the national capital on Saturday.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Jitender Singh Tomar, Asim Ahmed Khan, Gopal Rai, Satyendra Jain, took charge as cabinet ministers after party chief Arvind Kejriwal was sworn-in as the eighth Chief Minister of the national capital on Saturday.
Earlier in the day, party chief Arvind Kejriwal was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Delhi's Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung. Meanwhile, Manish Sisodia took charge as the deputy chief minister. In an unprecedented first for the national capital, the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party won 67of the 70 seats on offer in the Delhi polls. With this extraordinary mandate, the AAP has become the first non-Congress and non-BJP party to rule the city.
Jitendra Singh Tomar
A lawyer with Congress background, is Delhi's new home minister and also has the charge of law and justice ministry which saw a controversial stint of Somnath Bharti during previous AAP government. Tomar has been given charge of crucial Home department, which was earlier handled by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal himself. He has also been given the charge of tourism, art and culture. 48-year-old Tomar joined the AAP in 2013.
Before that he was associated with Congress though he never fought an election. He holds an LLB degree from Tilakmanjhi Bhagalpur University, Bihar.Like his predecessor Bharti, who sparked a row by allegedly leading a midnight raid against some African women in Khirki Extension in South Delhi when he was the law minister, Tomar has also courted controversy. The Delhi High Court on February 6 issued a notice to him over allegations that he enrolled as an advocate on a "false and bogus" degree, charges which he has denied. He contested from Tri Nagar in last assembly polls, but lost by a narrow margin. However, the party renominated him this time and he trounced BJP's Nand Kishore Garg by 22,311 votes.
Asim Ahmed Khan
From being a member of AAP's minority wing to securing a cabinet berth, Asim Ahmed Khan of AAP Khan is known as the 'giant-killer' for defeating five-time MLA Shoaib Iqbal in Matia Mahal assembly constituency. Khan defeated Iqbal in Matia Mahal by a margin of over 26,000 votes but more importantly, AAP's minority wing played a crucial role in swinging in minority votes away from Congress, which led to a massive landslide victory for Kejriwal-led party. Khan has been appointed as the new minister for Food and Civil Supply, Environment and Forest and Election departments in newly-formed AAP government. 38-year-old Khan is a graduate from Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut and is a businessman by profession.
Gopal Rai
Known as a fiery orator, Gopal Rai was a former student leader who came into limelight during Anna Hazare's anti-graft movement and later played a key role in building Aam Aadmi party at the grassroot level after its launch in November 2012. Rai, who has been associated with Kejriwal since his India Against Corruption (IAC) days, will be the new transport and labour minister of Delhi. The 39-year-old unsuccessfully contested Assembly election from Babarpur in 2013, ending at third position. However, he bounced back this time and won with a margin of 35,000 votes against BJP's Naresh Gaur. Rai began his career with All India Students Association in Lucknow University in 1992. He is partially paralysed as he was shot during his student days in Lucknow, but that does not deter him from doing party work.
He metamorphosed into a political activist and is credited to have built the party's volunteer base. He also participated in Anna Hazare's anti-graft movement, along with the AAP chief. Like Sisodia, he too joined Kejriwal to form the Aam Aadmi Party. He is also a member of the Political Affairs Committee- party's apex decision making body. On 13 December 2013, the fourth day of social activist Anna Hazare's indefinite hunger strike for passage of Jan Lokpal Bill in Ralegaon Siddhi, a verbal spat between VK Singh and Gopal Rai took place, forcing the Gandhian activist to ask Rai to leave the venue.
Satyendra Jain
An architect by qualification, softspoken Satyendar Jain has been given the charge of key Health and Power departments in the new AAP government, a reward for his loyalty to party chief Arvind Kejriwal. At 50, Jain is the oldest member of Kejriwal-led government. Media-shy and softspoken, Jain has been given the portfolio for his 'good work' done in his earlier stint when he was credited with have ensured adequate stock of medicines in the hospitals. Apart from Health, he has also been given important portfolios like industries and PWD. Besides Sisodia, a close confidant of Kejriwal, Jain is the only minister from the earlier AAP government who has found place in the new cabinet.
(With agency inputs)
Also Read: Manish Sisodia: Arvind Kejriwal's second-in-command who started as a journalist
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