Delhi CM Atishi retains key portfolios; Saurabh Bharadwaj to hold 8 ministries

New Delhi: New Delhi Chief Minister Atishi will retain all the 13 portfolios, including education, revenue, finance, power and PWD, that she held in the previous government in the national capital headed by Arvind Kejriwal. A proposal from the chief minister for allocation of work among the ministers of her cabinet has been approved by Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena, officials said on Saturday.

Atishi's predecessor, Kejriwal, did not hold any portfolio. Atishi, the eighth chief minister of Delhi, has retained four ministers from the previous government: Saurabh Bharadwaj, Gopal Rai, Kailash Gahlot, and Imran Hussain. First-time MLA from Sultanpur Majra Mukesh Ahlawat is a new member of her cabinet.

Bharadwaj will retain his previous portfolios and also have charge of the social welfare and cooperative departments that were earlier held by Raaj Kumar Anand, who resigned in April. His other portfolios include health, urban development, irrigation and tourism.

Bharadwaj will have eight portfolios under his belt, the highest after those held by the chief minister. Ahlawat has been given the charge of the labour, gurdwara elections, welfare of SCs and STs and land and building departments. Rai has retained the development, general administration department, environment and forest portfolios that he also held in the Kejriwal government.

Gahlot has also been given his previous portfolios -- transport, home, administrative reforms, women and child development. Hussain will continue to hold the food and supply and election portfolios.