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Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal took oath for the third time as the chief minister of Delhi on Sunday, days after his party was swept back to power, winning 62 of the 70 assembly seats.
Apart from Kejriwal, six other members of his previous cabinet, including deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, and cabinet ministers Satyendra Jain, Gopal Rai, Kailash Gahlot, Imran Hussain and Rajendra Pal Gautam also took oath.
Addressing supporters after being sworn in, Kejriwal said the support the electorate of Delhi had given to the politics of work will help build a 21st century India.
“Today, your son has taken oath for a third time as chief minister. This is not my win but yours—the people of Delhi. We will continue to work for the people of Delhi. In this election, some people voted for AAP, some voted for BJP, some voted for Congress, some for other parties, but now that I have taken oath, I am everyone’s CM,” Kejriwal said.
AAP swept the 8 February election, after a five-week campaign which saw parties pitching for votes on the planks of development and nationalism. AAP, which is less than a decade old, had won 67 out of 70 seats in 2015. Senior leaders said the cabinet has been kept the same to ensure continuity.
In his speech, Kejriwal defended his government’s decision to give several amenities for free, and said that the Delhi government’s work was being implemented in other states as well. “There has been a birth of a new kind of politics. It is the politics of schools, work, hospitals, water, good roads, women security, corruption-free India. This new politics is being talked about and other states have started following and making mohalla clinics, giving free electricity. This is being talked about not only in Delhi but all across the country,” he said.
He said that Delhi is run by its people and not by politicians. AAP had invited 50 people from various fields who they called ‘Delhi ke nirmata’ (makers of Delhi). They were seated on a special stage next to the podium where the swearing-in ceremony took place.
About the allegations made against him by leaders of the BJP, Kejriwal said he forgave them for their comments. He said he was willing to work with everyone, including the central government to develop Delhi.
“I want to work with all political parties. I also want to work with the central government. Through this platform, I want to take the blessings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and central government for smooth governance and development of Delhi,” Kejriwal said.
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