Published 11:23 IST, February 13th 2020
No CM or political leader invited; Arvind Kejriwal's oath ceremony to be 'Delhi specific'
No Chief Minister or political leaders from other states will be part of AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal’s oath ceremony at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi on February 16.
Arvind Kejriwal, who returned to power in Delhi with a landslide election victory, will take oath as the Chief Minister of Delhi for the third consecutive term on Sunday. The oath-taking ceremony will take place at Ramlila Maidan. In a huge departure from the norm, no Chief Minister or political leaders from other states will be part of AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal's oath ceremony, said a senior party leader on Thursday.
'Kejriwal will take the oath will people of Delhi'
Kejriwal will take oath as Chief Minister for a third term in a "Delhi-specific" ceremony, AAP's Delhi unit convener Gopal Rai told PTI. "No Chief Minister or political leader from other states will be invited for the ceremony that is going to be specific to Delhi," he said. "Kejriwal will take the oath with the people of Delhi who have reposed their faith in his leadership," he added.
"We will be holding the oath-taking ceremony on Sunday at 10 am... Everyone in Delhi is invited to come and bless their son, their brother, Arvind Kejriwal and take an oath for a better Delhi," top AAP leader Manish Sisodia said during a press conference along with Kejriwal on Wednesday.
Kejriwal staked claim to form govt
Kejriwal on Wednesday also met Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal at his residence in a meeting that lasted for around 15 minutes. Later in the day, he wrote to Lieutenant Governor staking claim to form the government in the national capital. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief also met the party MLAs. The legislators then elected him as the leader of the legislative party.
Kejriwal had said the AAP's victory signalled the victory of a "new kind of politics". "People of Delhi have given a message that they will vote for schools, mohalla clinics, 24-hour electricity and free water. This is a great message for the country," he said on Tuesday evening, addressing a huge crowd at the AAP office.
The opposition and AAP hailed the mandate as one against the divisive campaign of the BJP. The AAP returned to power following a historic mandate, bagging 62 of the 70 assembly seats. The BJP, however, which was the main opposition party, managed to win only eight. The Congress, which ruled Delhi for 15 years till 2013, won zero seats.
(with PTI inputs)
Updated 11:29 IST, February 13th 2020