President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday appointed AAP MLAs Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj as ministers in the Delhi cabinet on the advice of CM Arvind Kejriwal, with effect from the date they are sworn in, Ministry of Home Affairs stated. 

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal had forwarded the names to the Lieutenant Governor (LG) for their appointment to the Cabinet. 

The development came after the resignation of AAP ministers Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain. 

Atishi represents the Kalkaji constituency and has been a key member of Manish Sisodia's education team. She had also contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from the East Delhi constituency and lost to BJP's Gautam Gambhir.

Saurabh Bhardwaj, the party's national spokesperson, had served as the vice chairman of the Delhi Jal Board. The legislator from Greater Kailash was also a minister during the first stint of the AAP government. 

Notably, the Delhi council of ministers now has a strength of five, including CM Arvind Kejriwal, who doesn't hold any portfolios.

Sisodia had resigned from his all 18 posts following his arrest in the alleged excise policy scam.

After former Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain's arrest last year, seven portfolios handled by him were shifted to Sisodia, who was looking after 18 departments when he was arrested. It is to be noted that Jain was arrested in a money laundering case. 

Meanwhile, Manish Sisodia is lodged in Tihar jail after Rouse Avenue Court on Monday sent him to judicial custody till March 20. 
 

Image courtesy: ANI