AAP MLAs select Atishi as Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly

Former Chief Minister of Delhi and AAP leader, Atishi was chosen as the Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly during a meeting of AAP MLAs on Sunday, the party said. After making the big announcement about LoP, the party said newly appointed Leader of Opposition Atishi, Durgesh Pathak, Mahesh Kumar Khinchi, Ravinder Bhardwaj and Mukesh Goel will lod a meeting at AAP headquarters in New Delhi on February 23 at 4:00 PM.

AAP in a post on X stated, “Senior leader of the Aam Aadmi Party 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 hold a press conference on an important topic today. At 4 PM. AAP Headquarters, New Delhi.”

The meeting was attended by AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal and the party's 22 MLAs, including Kalkaji legislator Atishi. This development comes in the wake of first session of the Delhi Assembly which is scheduled to begin on February 24.

This comes a day after Atishi Saturday wrote to Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. In the letter, the AAP leader urged the CM to schedule a meeting on February 23 to discuss the issue of providing ₹2,500 monthly aid to women as promised by the BJP during the poll campaign.

Atishi sought answers as to why the scheme was not approved by the BJP government in its first cabinet meeting despite the prime minister's promise. Delhi BJP media department head Praveen Shankar Kapoor in a post on X responded, “You as the finance minister had proposed in the 2024-25 budget to pay ₹1,000 to women and also got forms filled for it. Yet not a single penny was disbursed.”

According to the ruling BJP government, pending CAG reports against the performance of the previous AAP government will be tabled in the House during the three-day session. AAP faced defeat in the Delhi assembly elections after retaining the union territory for the second time. In the assembly polls held on February 5, the BJP ousted AAP by winning 48 of the total 70 seats.

AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal and several top leaders of the party, including Manish Sisodia lost the elections from the constituencies they contested but Atishi retained Kalkaji seat.