A Manish Sisodia-size hole in AAP chain of command, Kejriwal leans on several ministers

While two new ministers, Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj, were sworn in on Thursday afternoon, days after Sisodia and Satyendar Jain resigned as ministers, it is unlikely that anyone in the Cabinet will be given the range of responsibilities that Sisodia used to handle. Atishi was given Education, PWD, Power and Tourism, while Bhardwaj got Health, Urban development, Water and Industries.

At the time he was arrested, Sisodia was heading 18 departments. This included Education, Health, Home, Finance, PWD, Planning and Excise. Some of these were charges he had taken over from Jain when the latter was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on charges of money laundering. Jain has been in jail for nine months.

Party sources said the departments will now be divided more equitably among ministers, and Kejriwal will be involved more closely in the day-to-day running of the government. “[Kailash] Gahlot will keep the charge of Finance and Planning. He will also present the Budget. The new ministers will also get important charges. But, to put it simply, for the CM and the party, there is no real replacement for Sisodia,” said a party leader.

Sources said that over the past few days, senior leaders such as Gopal Rai, Sanjay Singh and Dilip Pandey have rallied around Kejriwal and have been acting as his sounding board on certain matters.

“Several MLAs, including the ones who will now be appointed as ministers, have also been part of several meetings. But to replicate the relationship he [Kejriwal] has with Sisodia is not possible. They have known each other for decades, and worked together in NGO Parivartan when they were not big names. That sort of an association and trust comes only with time and shared experiences,” said another leader.

Party leaders also said that Kejriwal is not expected to take on any department in the reshuffle. He has not held charge of any department so far. “This is not expected to change. However, it does not mean he is not involved in the day to day functioning of the government or the party. Every big policy decision or move is discussed with him, many of them being his brain child,” the leader said, adding that at present, it is all hands on board.

“While Sisodia’s arrest is a big setback for the AAP, we are ready to fight these false charges as a unit. The BJP is gunning for Opposition leaders and this storm has to be faced as a collective. Which is also why Opposition parties, except Congress, are coming together. It is us today, it will be them tomorrow,” he said, referring to the letter leaders from eight Opposition parties wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week.