Kejriwal to take oath as Delhi's Chief Minister

New Delhi, Feb 14 (IANS) Tens of thousands packed the sprawling Ramlila Maidan where AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal will take oath Saturday as Delhi's chief minister for a second time in 14 months.

Cheering Aam Aadmi Party supporters started flocking to the ground in the heart of the capital right from the morning, and excitement ran high whenever a prominent party leader was spotted.

While most AAP activists and supporters were from Delhi, large numbers also came from other states, particularly neighbouring Haryana.

Thousands of police and paramilitary personnel deployed at the venue, which had a fresh look, had a tough time as the crowds began to swell just after 9 a.m.

Many in the gathering waved the Indian tricolour and others the AAP flag. Many held large photographs of Kejriwal, who led the AAP to a thumping win in the Delhi assembly election, sweeping 67 of the 70 seats.

The Bharatiya Janata Party was left hanging with just three seats. The Congress, which had ruled Delhi for 15 long years until the December 2013 election that brought the AAP to power for the first time, was wiped out.

"This is a victory of the people," said AAP leader Dilip Pandey. "We were in a bad shape after the Lok Sabha election and we knew we had to stand up again. We were determined."

Kejriwal's earlier government, backed by the Congress, collapsed in just 49 days when he resigned. The AAP could not win any of the seven Lok Sabha seats last year.

Kejriwal, 46, is likely to hold the portfolios of finance and power departments. Also to be sworn in Saturday will be six ministers including Manish Sisodia, who will be Kejriwal's deputy.

The other ministers will be Satyendra Jain, Gopal Rai, Asim Mohammad Khan, Sandeep Kumar and Jitendra Singh Tomar.

BJP's chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi, who lost the election, earlier tweeted: "Today is the day of celebration and reflection. When both the processes are done with true responsibility and commitment, India is the real winner."

Earlier, hundreds of people gathered outside Kejriwal's Girnar Tower apartment complex at Kaushambi in nearby Ghaziabad raising slogans hailing the new Delhi chief minister and the AAP.

Besides Sisodia, party leaders Sanjay Singh, Ashish Khaitan and Kumar Vishwas reached there in the morning.

Many danced on the streets to drum beats. The police had a tough time controlling the crowd.

AAP sources said Kejriwal was not in the best of health and he would leave for Ramlila Maidan in a car. Last time, he had boarded a Delhi Metro train along with thousands to reach the venue.