Arvind Kejriwal holds a 'janata darbar' outside his Ghaziabad house
Arvind Kejriwal, who will become Delhi's youngest chief minister today, has said he will use the metro to get to Ramlila Maidan for his swearing-in ceremony, along with the other elected members of his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). (
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It was at the same venue that Mr Kejriwal became a nationally-recognized figure in 2011 when he flanked Gandhian Anna Hazare who fasted for 16 days to demand the new anti-corruption law that has just been cleared by parliament and births a national ombudsman or Lokpal.
After the oath-taking ceremony, Mr Kejriwal and AAP legislators will head straight to work to hold their first cabinet meeting. They expect to work on Sunday as well.
"I realize I have a big responsibility," Mr Kejriwal, 45, said yesterday. He has to prove his majority in the state legislature by January 3.
His first big challenge is grappling with a 10 per cent hike in CNG prices, announced on Thursday. Auto drivers in the city, who form a huge section of his supporters, have threatened a strike. Mr Kejriwal said yesterday he will see if the hike can be reversed. If that's not feasible, he said, auto fares are likely to increase. (
No VIPs, everyone is invited to swearing-in: Arvind Kejriwal)
The former tax official has promised to disassemble Delhi's VIP culture. Neither he nor his legislators will use the flashing red lights or 'lal battis' that give politicians' cars the screeching right of way on roads. They have also refused large government bungalows and say they want small flats as their official accommodation.
It was those principles and a declaration of war against corruption that gave AAP a magisterial debut, placing it second in the recent election. The Congress, which had been in power for 15 years, was pushed to third place and is now loaning external support to Mr Kejriwal's minority government.
The BJP emerged as the largest party but did not manage a majority and said it would not try to form the government.