Delhi Chief Minister Atishi Retains All 13 Portfolios; Bharadwaj Takes Charge of Eight Departments

Delhi's Chief Minister, Atishi, will continue to oversee all 13 portfolios she managed in the previous administration led by Arvind Kejriwal. These include education, revenue, finance, power, and PWD. The proposal for distributing responsibilities among cabinet ministers was approved by Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena, officials confirmed on Saturday.

Atishi's predecessor, Kejriwal, did not manage any portfolios. As the eighth chief minister of Delhi, Atishi has retained four ministers from the former government: Saurabh Bharadwaj, Gopal Rai, Kailash Gahlot, and Imran Hussain. Mukesh Ahlawat, a first-time MLA from Sultanpur Majra, joins her cabinet as a new member.

Portfolio Distribution Among Ministers

Bharadwaj will keep his previous portfolios and also take charge of the social welfare and cooperative departments. These were earlier managed by Raaj Kumar Anand, who resigned in April. His other responsibilities include health, urban development, irrigation, and tourism. With eight portfolios under his belt, Bharadwaj holds the most after the chief minister.

Ahlawat has been assigned the labour department along with gurdwara elections and welfare of SCs and STs. He will also manage land and building departments. Meanwhile, Rai continues with the development, general administration department, environment, and forest portfolios he held in Kejriwal's government.

Gahlot retains his previous roles in transport, home affairs, administrative reforms, and women and child development. Hussain will maintain control over food and supply as well as election portfolios. The allocation of work by the chief minister received approval from the LG and was officially notified by the General Administration Department.

Official Notification Details

The notification stated that under Rule 3 of the GNCTD Allocation of Business Rules 1993, the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi allocated these portfolios in consultation with the chief minister. It emphasized that this allocation pertains to matters where the Council of Ministers must aid and advise the Lieutenant Governor under Article 239AA of the Constitution.

The notification further clarified that this allocation is in line with Rule 3 of the GNCTD Allocation of Business Rules 1993 and subject to The GNCTD Act 1991. This ensures that all business related to these portfolios is conducted within legal frameworks.

This structured distribution of responsibilities aims to ensure efficient governance in Delhi. By retaining experienced ministers while introducing new members like Ahlawat into her cabinet, Atishi seeks to maintain continuity while fostering fresh perspectives in her administration.