Atishi takes charge as Delhi CM echoing Ramayan's symbolism

Senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi took charge as the Delhi Chief Minister on Monday while drawing Lord Ram and Bharat's analogy and also her 'personal agony' over the transition.

Addressing a press conference, she pointed to the empty chair and said that this will remain vacant till Kejriwal returns to power.

The symbolism draws inspiration from the Hindu epic Ramayana, where Bharat refused to sit on the throne vacated by Lord Ram to demonstrate his deep love and affection.

"I have the same pain as Ramayana's Bharat had. Just as Bharat ruled by keeping Lord Ram's wooden sandals, I will take charge as the Chief Minister with an empty chair for the next four months," Atishi said after assuming charge as Chief Minister at the Secretariat.

Atishi explained that her appointment was temporary and symbolic.

"For the last 2 years, the BJP has left no stone unturned in throwing muck on Arvind Kejriwal. He was put in jail for 6 months. He said that he will not sit on the CM chair again until the people of Delhi consider him honest. The court also said that the agency arrested Arvind Kejriwal with malice," she said.

"This chair belongs to Arvind Kejriwal. I am confident that in the elections to be held in February, the people of Delhi will make Arvind Kejriwal the Chief Minister again. Till then, this empty chair will remain here," she said.

Earlier on Saturday, she took oath as the Chief Minister of Delhi along with Gopal Rai, Kailash Gahlot, Saurabh Bharadwaj, Imran Hussain and Mukesh Ahlawat as Cabinet ministers. However, one post remains vacant.

Atishi's new Ministers had reaffirmed their commitment to working under the leadership of the party's national convener, Arvind Kejriwal.

Atishi is the third woman to become Chief Minister of Delhi and also the youngest to hold the top post. Her succession to the CM post followed Kejriwal's resignation as the Chief Minister after his bail in the liquor policy scam by the Supreme Court.

Atishi, who represents Delhi's Kalkaji constituency, was unanimously chosen as the leader for the top post at the AAP legislature party meeting on September 17.

 (With inputs from IANS)