"Hope Atishi will listen to voice of Delhi people": CPI-M leader Brinda Karat

New Delhi [India], September 17 (ANI): Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Brinda Karat on Tuesday praised Arvind Kejriwal's choice of Atishi as the new face for Delhi Chief Minister, particularly in terms of female representation.
Brinda Karat expressed "hope" that Atishi would attentively consider the concerns of Delhi's residents, especially the poor, and work towards delivering justice for the people of the city.
"In the circumstances under which Atishi has become the Chief Minister, she herself said it is very sad that Arvind Ji had to resign today. Making her the Chief Minister is a good thing, as a woman has become the Chief Minister and certainly, during her tenure, she will listen to the voice of the people of Delhi, the voice of the poor, the voice of the workers and will work to get justice for the people of Delhi. This is our hope," Karat told ANI.
Meanwhile, while launching a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Atishi, who is set to succeed as the Delhi Chief Minister, Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Virendraa Sachdeva on Tuesday alleged that the Delhi Minister's parents had written mercy petitions to cancel the death sentence of the 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.

He also claimed that an "anti-national government" would now run the national capital.
Addressing a press conference, the Delhi BJP chief said, "Arvind Kejriwal has pushed Delhi into anarchy after announcing Atishi Marlena's name. There's a reason behind it. We all have heard the name of Afzal Guru. A mercy petition was submitted to the President for Afzal Guru, and her parents signed it." Sachdeva displayed pictures of Afzal Guru, his parents, and the petition sent to the President, stating, "In this petition, Atishi's parents' picture was also present."
AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal resigned as Delhi Chief Minister on Tuesday and the party's newly-elected legislative party leader Atishi has staked claim to form the new government.
Kejriwal tendered his resignation to Delhi LG Vinai Kumar Saxena.
Talking to reporters, AAP leader and Delhi minister Gopal Rai said that Kejriwal had stated after getting bail in the Delhi excise case that he will take the post of Chief Minister only after he gets a renewed mandate from the people of Delhi in the assembly poll.
"Accordingly, he gave his resignation. AAP MLAs met in the morning and elected Atishi as their leader. We have conveyed this to the LG. Atishi has staked claim to form the government. We have requested that the date of swearing is decided at the earliest so that works related to the two crore residents of Delhi are taken forward," he said.
Rai said the new government will work to protect the initiatives taken by Kejriwal for the people of Delhi.
Kejriwal was released from Tihar Jail in the national capital on September 13 after the apex court granted him bail in the Delhi excise policy case.
The apex court also imposed certain conditions for Kejriwal's release, including that he must refrain from making public comments about the case and must attend all hearings before the trial court unless exempt.
The current term of the Delhi Assembly will end on February 11, 2025. The last assembly election in Delhi was held on February 8, 2020. AAP leaders have said that the assembly polls in Delhi should be held with those in Maharashtra and Jharkhand later this year. (ANI)