Arvind Kejriwal said he had discussed with Amit Shah working together for Delhi (File)
Highlights
- Arvind Kejriwal will be only minister in his cabinet without a portfolio
- He has not even kept the water ministry, which he took over in 2017
- "My first commitment is to the people of Delhi," he said
Arvind Kejriwal, in his third stint as Delhi Chief Minister, has again refused to take charge of any ministry. He will stay the only minister in his cabinet without a portfolio, as he has been since 2015.
This time, he has not even kept the water ministry, which he had taken over in 2017 as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) sought to deliver on its promise of cheaper water to every household.
"Many people are asking me why I haven't kept any ministry. The answer is that my first and complete commitment is to the people of Delhi. They have given me a huge responsibility and it is to fulfil that responsibility properly that I have not kept any portfolio," Arvind Kejriwal told reporters after a meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah.
"This way I can keep an eye on all ministries and the big picture. If you get too entangled in a ministry and petty details then the rest of the work suffers," the Chief Minister explained.
He said he had discussed with Amit Shah working together for Delhi. This is the first time the two leaders met after an acrimonious campaign for Delhi, in which Mr Shah and the BJP were accused by AAP of trying to polarize voters with hate speeches.
Mr Kejriwal was sworn in for the third time on Sunday, days after his AAP won an outsized victory in Delhi, almost repeating last time's sweep. He has retained all his ministers.
During his campaign, Mr Kejriwal had offered citizens a guarantee card with 10 promises. At a Delhi cabinet meeting, it was decided that these promises would be tackled within a set time-line.