Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Feb 23: In a significant political development, senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Delhi Chief Minister, Atishi, has been appointed as the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Delhi Assembly. The decision was made during a meeting of AAP MLAs on Sunday, as confirmed by the party.
Following this announcement, Atishi, along with key AAP leaders Durgesh Pathak, Mahesh Kumar Khinchi, Ravinder Bhardwaj, and Mukesh Goel, is set to hold a crucial meeting at the AAP headquarters in New Delhi on February 23 at 4:00 PM. The party shared this update on social media platform X, stating, “Senior AAP leader and former Chief Minister @AtishiAAP ji, senior leader @ipathak25 ji, Mayor @AAPMaheshkhichi ji, Deputy Mayor @AAPkaRavinder ji, and Leader of the House @Mukeshgoelaap ji will address a press conference on an important issue today at 4 PM at AAP Headquarters, New Delhi.”
The meeting was attended by AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal and 22 party MLAs, including Atishi, who represents the Kalkaji constituency. This announcement comes just ahead of the first session of the newly elected Delhi Assembly, scheduled to commence on February 24.
Meanwhile, Atishi has written to Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, urging her to convene a meeting on February 23 to discuss the BJP’s election promise of providing a monthly financial aid of ?2,500 to women. She questioned why the scheme was not approved in the BJP government's first cabinet meeting, despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assurances during the election campaign.
Responding to Atishi’s query, Delhi BJP media head Praveen Shankar Kapoor pointed out that as the Finance Minister in the previous government, Atishi had proposed ?1,000 monthly aid for women in the 2024-25 budget and initiated the process of form collection, yet no funds were disbursed.
As the Delhi Assembly gears up for its three-day session, the ruling BJP has announced its intention to present pending CAG reports evaluating the performance of the previous AAP government. AAP suffered a major defeat in the recent assembly elections, losing control of Delhi after two consecutive terms. In the February 5 polls, the BJP secured a decisive victory, winning 48 out of the 70 seats.
Despite the electoral setback for AAP, Atishi managed to retain her Kalkaji seat, even as party supremo Arvind Kejriwal and other top leaders, including Manish Sisodia, faced defeats in their respective constituencies.