Manish Sisodia was today given charge of some of Delhi’s most important ministries by his boss, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Mr Sisodia, 41, has been assigned Education, Urban Development and the Public Works Department. (Delhi portfolios announced: Meet the ministers in Arvind Kejriwal’s team)
The former journalist established himself as one of Mr Kejriwal’s most trusted aides in 2012 during the India Against Corruption movement. Fronted by Gandhian Anna Hazare and designed by Mr Kejriwal, the campaign manifested itself through rallies and hunger strikes which demanded an end to the profligate graft that Indians confront in everyday life.
After capturing middle class India’s attention, the movement unravelled. Mr Kejriwal decided to form the Aam Aadmi Party or AAP, a move that impelled his estrangement from Anna who said he could not associate with a political party.
Mr Sisodia has been seen regularly since then at Mr Kejriwal’s side.
In the Delhi election, he defeated the BJP’s Nakul Bharadwaj of the BJP by over 10,000 votes from the Patparganj constituency in East Delhi.
Mr Sisodia had worked as a journalist with Zee News and All India Radio before he campaigned with Mr Kejriwal for the landmark Right to Information Act.
During the India Against Corruption movement, he was briefly imprisoned. He also fasted for 10 days demanding an investigation against allegedly corrupt union ministers.
