NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government on Monday inducted party MLA Raghuvinder Shokeen into the cabinet to replace Kailash Gahlot who resigned from the post and the party a day ago.
Shokeen is likely to preside over all portfolios held by Gahlot. However, an official confirmation is awaited from the city government.
In the AAP cabinet, Gahlot had held portfolios including transport, home, administrative reforms, IT, and women and child development. Several important projects were also under his charge, including the electrification of bus depots, induction of electric buses, and one of AAP’s poll promises – Mahila Samman Rashi schemes under which former CM Arvind Kejriwal announced an honorarium of Rs 1,000 per month to all women aged 18 to 60.
Gahlot, who held the transport portfolio in the Delhi government, was a prominent Jat face of the party and his position has been replaced by a leader who comes from the same community. He quit the party on Sunday citing troubles within the AAP.
Political observers said the swift induction of Shokeen by the party reveals the importance of Jat votes in the city’s politics ahead of the 2025 Assembly election.
Shokeen has been a two-time councillor and serving his second term as an MLA from Nangloi Jat, another Jat-dominated seat in West Delhi, which is around 12 km from Najafgarh from where Gahlot has won three assembly polls.