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At the recent oath-taking ceremony for Delhi’s CM and Council of Ministers at Ramlila Maidan, political leaders from all parties gathered, but two names stood out: AAP’s Swati Maliwal and Congress’s Devender Yadav. While the ceremony saw prominent figures from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, several high-profile AAP leaders notably skipped the event.
Swati Maliwal Makes Her Presence Felt
Among the noticeable faces in the crowd was Swati Maliwal, a Member of Parliament for the AAP in the Rajya Sabha. Despite the absence of other AAP leaders, Maliwal attended the ceremony and made a statement to the media, offering her congratulations to CM Rekha Gupta and expressing optimism about her leadership. “The people of Delhi have chosen her with great expectations, and I hope she will meet them,” Maliwal shared. She also highlighted the need for CAG reports to be tabled in the Assembly.
Swati Maliwal served as the Chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) for seven years, and her career took a new turn when she was nominated as a Rajya Sabha MP in January 2024. Known for her activism, Maliwal’s departure from the AAP last year was highly publicized after allegations against an aide of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. Her criticism of AAP’s claims about Delhi’s facilities, especially leading up to the elections, was also well-noted.
Congress Leader Devender Yadav Attends the Ceremony
Joining Maliwal on stage was Devender Yadav, the Delhi Congress Chief, who also congratulated the newly appointed Chief Minister. “Delhi Congress will fully cooperate and support the new government if they act immediately to repair the damage caused to civic infrastructure by Kejriwal’s government,” said Yadav.
He went on to accuse Kejriwal of corruption, alleging that the Delhi CM had swindled taxpayer money during his tenure.The absence of several key AAP figures from the ceremony raised eyebrows, but Swati Maliwal’s presence and comments, along with Devender Yadav’s support for the new government, added some political heat to the event. With Delhi’s political landscape continuously evolving, these leaders remain key players to watch.
