Arvind Kejriwal to leave official residence in a week, live among common people: ‘God will protect…’

Outgoing Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has decided to move out of his official residence in a week and give up all facilities, said Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh on Wednesday.

“Yesterday, after tendering his resignation, Kejriwal said he will leave all the facilities that a chief minister gets, including security, and live as a commoner among the people,” Singh said.

Singh said that Kejriwal's life is also under threat. He said that AAP leaders tried to convince Kejriwal that the official residence is important to ensure his security.

“Not once, but he has been attacked many times...BJP workers have also attacked...We are concerned about his security,” Singh said.

“We tried to persuade him, saying a lot of attempts to harm him physically have taken place in the past, but he was not deterred,” the AAP leader said.

“But he [Kejriwal] said that God will protect him...,” Singh said, adding that the outgoing CM will “leave the official residence and live among common people.”

When asked if Kejriwal had demanded another residence, Singh said leaders of other national political parties had been allotted residence. But it has not yet been decided where Kejriwal will live, Singh said.

Kejriwal, accompanied by a delegation of AAP legislators, visited the L-G Secretariat on Tuesday to tender his resignation and formally stake claim to form a new government under Atishi's leadership.

Kejriwal proposed Atishi's name at the meeting of the legislature party, and AAP MLAs unanimously accepted it.

Sources said there would be no Deputy Chief Minister, and Atishi, who represents the Kalkaji constituency, would take oath during a special Assembly session on September 26-27.

The change of guard in Delhi has taken place ahead of next year's assembly elections in the Union Territory. Kejriwal had earlier demanded that elections in Delhi be advanced and held along with those in Maharashtra this year.