Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in his office
Arvind Kejriwal's unconventional way of doing things continues to rattle seasoned politicians, who are clearly unable to appreciate or keep pace with the wiry 45-year-old Delhi chief minister in a hurry to fix things.
He left some controversy in his wake when he rushed out of the Delhi Assembly yesterday, soon after taking oath, instead of sitting through the entire proceedings of the first day of the new session. There were also some disapproving murmurs that he had arrived in House only after proceedings began.
An appalled Sahab Singh Chauhan of the BJP, said, "Its wrong what he has done, walking out of the Assembly when the House is on. You can look at the history of the House." Mr Chauhan should know. He has been an MLA since 2003.
Delhi's young Chief Minister, a first-time MLA, when asked if he had left the House because he was unwell, said, "I left as I have to get to the secretariat for work."
He said he had to check on the progress of matters related to an audit he has requested of the three major power distribution companies in Delhi. By evening he declared that the audit would begin on Thursday. The decision had been announced only 48 hours before.
In the five days since he was sworn in Chief Minister, Mr Kejriwal has already announced free water, a 50 per cent cut in electricity tariffs, the audit and, in a late evening decision yesterday, new shelters for the homeless within 48 hours. (
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He has repeatedly said that with 28 legislators, he cannot vouch for the stability of his minority government, which depends on the Congress' support to meet the requirement of 36 in the House. He will prove majority today with a trust vote.
"We have only 48 hours to deliver," he had said as he rushed to deliver on pre-poll promises, disregarding high fever.
The Congress' Arvinder Singh Lovely said yesterday that Mr Kejriwal's apprehension is "misplaced."
"We don't know why Kejriwal is threatened, we have given our support. We have no confusion. We stick to our letter to the Lt Governor," Mr Lovely told NDTV.