With all prominent AAP faces victorious, all eyes on Cabinet formation

With all prominent faces of the AAP including Atishi, Raghav Chadha and Dilip Pandey as well as its incumbent ministers emerging victorious, all eyes will be on how Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal constitutes his new Cabinet.

An AAP functionary said the party will reach any conclusion on the matter after a detailed consultation with its high-command.

Atishi, Chadha and Pandey, who are considered close to Kejriwal, emerged victorious in their assembly election debut. The three had unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha elections last year.

They are currently spokespersons for the Aam Aadmi Party.

Asked whether the three leaders may find a place in the new AAP government, a party leader said no decision has been taken yet on the matter.

As per the Constitution, Delhi's Council of Ministers may consist of not more than 10 per cent of the total number of members in the Legislative Assembly, with the Chief Minister at the head. The Delhi Assembly has 70 seats.

Chadha, a practising chartered accountant, has won the Rajinder Nagar seat by over 20,058 votes. Atishi and Pandey have won the Kalkaji and Timarpur seats.

Another AAP leader, Saurabh Bhardwaj, who was the transport minister in the 49-day Arvind Kejriwal government in 2013, is also in the race for becoming a minister in the new dispensation.

Besides Kejriwal, all incumbent AAP ministers - Manish Sisodia, Gopal Rai, Imran Hussain, Kailash Gahlot, Rajendra Pal Gautam and Satyendra Kumar Jain -- have won the assembly elections from their respective seats.

After winning the Patparganj seat in a close contest, senior AAP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Sisodia accused the BJP of indulging in the politics of hate.

"We pursue the politics of development not of hate," he told reporters.

In the 2015 elections, the AAP had won 67 seats in the 70-member Delhi Assembly while the BJP had won three. The Congress had drawn a blank.