New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from Patparganj, Manish Sisodia, is all set to become the Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi.
Decision to make Sisodia the Deputy CM was taken at a meeting of AAP's Political Affairs Committee (PAC) last night at Kejriwal's residence in Kaushambhi, party sources said.
Sisodia, who triumphed over his former colleague Vinod Kumar Binny by a margin of over 28,000 votes, will also be given additional the charge of Education, PWD and Revenue.
Sources also said that making Sisodia Deputy CM can be a tactical move, as AAP chief may shift his focus to Punjab and other states. AAP has 4 MP's from Punjab.
Sisodia, a 43-year-old former journalist, was briefly a Cabinet minister in the 49-day long AAP government between late December 2013 and February 2014. He was given responsibility for Education, PWD, Urban Development, local bodies and land and building.
He is one of the founding members of the Janlokpal agitation and part of the team which chalked out its first draft. When Anna Hazare was arrested and sent to jail during the agitation, he too was sent to prison
There are reports that Kejriwal may keep three of its former ministers -- Rakhi Birla, Girish Soni and Somnath Bharti -- out of his new cabinet.
Meanwhile, sources confirmed that Gopal Rai, AAP MLA Babarpur, would be made the Speaker. In the previous government, MS Dhir, who defected from the AAP to the BJP just before the elections, was the Speaker of Delhi Assembly.
When Rai was contacted, the legislator said that he wants to focus on the work related to his constituency and he doesn't want to take any top post.
Shahdara MLA Ram Niwas Goel's name is the second choice for the post of Speaker.
AAP MLA from Dwarka constituency, Adarsh Shastri, may be given the Health portfolio whereas techie-turned-politician Saurabh Bhardwaj, who won from Greater Kailash, is likely to the next Transport Minister.
Former journalist Jarnail Singh and RK Puram MLA, Pramila Tokas, may also be included in the Kejriwal-led Cabinet.
Kejriwal, Sisodia and other cabinet ministers will take oath of office at Ramlila ground on Saturday.
Kejriwal's AAP decimated the BJP and the Congress by recorded a landslide victory, securing 67 of the 70 seats in the Delhi Assembly elections. The BJP managed to bag only 3 seats.
