By The Sampadak Express
Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal on Wednesday took to social media to demand that a Dalit MLA be appointed as the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the newly formed Delhi Assembly. In a letter addressed to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal, Maliwal reminded him of a promise made three years ago regarding Dalit representation in leadership roles.
Maliwal, a vocal advocate for Dalit rights, highlighted that Kejriwal had promised to appoint a Dalit Deputy Chief Minister in Punjab, but this promise had not been fulfilled. She expressed hope that Kejriwal would now honor his commitment to the Dalit community by making a Dalit MLA from Delhi the Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly. Maliwal took to the social media platform X, sharing a screenshot of the letter sent to Kejriwal, in which she wrote, “I hope this time he will pay true tribute to respected Babasaheb Ambedkar by making a Dalit MLA from Delhi the LOP.”
In her letter to Kejriwal, Maliwal emphasized that appointing a Dalit MLA as the LoP would not only be a significant political decision but also a meaningful step towards upholding the core values of equality and justice. She urged the AAP leader to demonstrate his party’s commitment to social justice by appointing a representative from the Dalit community to the key position.
The letter comes at a time when the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which had been in power in Delhi for the past decade, was recently defeated in the Delhi Assembly elections. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged victorious, winning 48 seats out of 70, while AAP only secured 22 seats. Several prominent AAP leaders, including Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain, and Saurabh Bharadwaj, lost their respective constituencies.
BJP Takes Charge of Delhi Government After 27 Years
The BJP’s victory marks its return to power in Delhi after 27 years. Following the results of the assembly elections, the BJP is set to form the government, with the party securing a majority in the assembly. A legislative party meeting is expected to be held soon to elect the leader of the BJP legislative party, who will be named the new Chief Minister of Delhi.
The oath-taking ceremony for the new Chief Minister is scheduled to take place at Ramlila Maidan on Thursday. The venue, which can accommodate around 30,000 people, is currently being prepared for the grand event. Workers were seen painting the boundary walls of Ramlila Maidan, while cleaning activities continued throughout the grounds, pavements, and roads around the venue in anticipation of the ceremony.
Top BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Chief Ministers from BJP-ruled states, are expected to attend the event. The swearing-in ceremony will mark the beginning of a new chapter in Delhi’s political landscape as the BJP takes charge after nearly three decades.
As the dust settles on the recent elections, all eyes will be on the formation of the new Delhi government and the subsequent appointments, including the selection of the Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly. With Swati Maliwal’s call for a Dalit LoP, the spotlight is now on whether Kejriwal and the AAP will fulfill their promises and demonstrate their commitment to social justice.
