Beginning of politics of development, says Kejriwal after being sworn in as Delhi CM for 3rd time

New Delhi, February 16

AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal took oath as the Chief Minister of Delhi for the third consecutive time on Sunday at the city’s Ramlila Maidan, where a multi-level security arrangement had been put in place.

Besides the AAP chief, six MLAs—Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain, Kailash Gahlot, Gopal Rai, Rajendra Pal Gautam and Imran Hussain—took oath as ministers in the newly sworn Cabinet.

Rai, who was the Labour Minister in the previous government, took oath in the name of martyrs of freedom struggle. Gautam, who held the Social Welfare portfolio in his last tenure, took oath in the name of Buddha.

The oaths were administered by Lt Governor Anil Baijal. 

"This is the beginning of new politics—the politics of development," Kejriwal said in a speech that was met with thunderous applause.   

'Want to work with Centre for smooth governance'

He said he wants to work in coordination with the Centre and also sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's blessings for smooth governance of the national capital.

 Kejriwal said as the elections are over, the politics is also over and he has "forgiven" his opponents for the remarks they made during the poll campaign.

Referring himself as Delhi's "son", he said this is not his victory but of every single Delhiite.

"We want to seek Prime Minister Narendra Modi's blessing for smooth governance of Delhi," Kejriwal said in his address at the Ramlila Maidan here after taking oath.

In his earlier tenure, the AAP supremo had several run-ins with the Centre.

"Your son has taken oath for the third time as the Delhi chief minister. This is not my victory but yours," Kejriwal.

Kejriwal said he did not give step-motherly treatment to anyone and has worked for all in the last five years.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also invited but skipped the swearing-in ceremony, instead choosing to inaugurate development projects in his own Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi.  

Kejriwal is the first and the only Chief Minister of Delhi who has preferred the historic Ramlila Maidan for his oath ceremonies, while his predecessors took oath at the Raj Niwas.

The choice of Ramlila Maidan is a symbolic one—it was from this place that Kejriwal joined Anna Hazare's ‘India Against Corruption’ movement in 2011.

The movement later became Kejriwal's gateway to politics in 2012.

In the 2013 Assembly election, Kejriwal became the Chief Minister of Delhi with the help of the Congress. He took oath for the first time on December 28, 2013, at the Ramlila Maidan.

However, after 49 days in office Kejriwal resigned on February 14, 2014. Delhi again went to the polls in 2015. A year later on February 14, 2015, he took oath for the second time as the Chief Minister of Delhi at the same venue. Agencies

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