Zee Media Bureau
New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party`s convener Arvind Kejriwal is all set to become the youngest chief minister of Delhi. The way to his becoming the CM was paved when the AAP announced on Monday that as per the referendum of the people, they would go ahead and form the next government in Delhi by taking Congress` support.
In the recently concluded Assembly elections, the BJP emerged as the single largest party with 31 seats while SAD got one seat. The AAP surprised everyone by winning 28 seats in the 70 member House.
The BJP told the LG that it could not prove majority on the floor of the House. Meanwhile, the Congress with its 08 seats offered support to the AAP. The AAP then decided to seek people`s opinion on whether they should go ahead and form the government in Delhi.
Kejriwal addressed the media today and said that the people had voted overwhelmingly in favour of their forming the next government in Delhi.
Now that the new party on the block is all set to assume power in Delhi, lets take a look at the life and times of Arvind Kejriwal.
The 45 year old Arvind Kejriwal is all set to be Delhi`s youngest chief minister. He defeated three-time Congress chief minister Sheila Dikshit from the New Delhi constituency by more than 25,000 votes.
He was born on August 16, 1968 into a middle class family in a village in Haryana.
He studied mechanical engineering from IIT-Kharagpur.
Kejriwal joined the Indian Revenue Service in 1995 but left his job in 2001. He founded the an NGO, Parivartan (Change) and campaigned to bring Right to Information Act in 2005. He won the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2006 for his efforts in the field of RTI.
But the AAP convener came on the centre-stage and became a national figure in 2011 when he teamed with social activist Anna Hazare to press for the Jan Lokpal Bill.
Kejriwal also went on a fast along with Anna in his fight against corruption.
In November 2012, Kejriwal launched the Aam Aadmi Party. That led to his parting ways with Anna, who was against the formation of a political party.
The AAP`s symbol is the broom and its party workers sport white caps. The party was able to raise 20 crores through donations to fight the Delhi Assembly elections.
The AAP decided to take the political plunge by fighting the Delhi polls. It won 28 seats in the 70 member House, the counting of votes which was done on December 08.
Kejriwal said today that the oath-taking ceremony will be held at Ramlila Maidan, the venue of the Lokpal movement.
Kejriwal`s wife Sunita is an Indian Revenue Service officer. They have two children.
