Arvind Kejriwal says no to CM bungalow

NEW DELHI: Arvind Kejriwal, who will be Delhi’s new chief minister, has turned down a government bungalow that comes with his new role.
Kejriwal formally rejected the official accommodation – one of the biggest perks of a government post – when Delhi chief secretary came to him with the offer on Tuesday morning.
The chief secretary of Delhi has reportedly met Kejriwal, to finalize arrangements for the swearing-in ceremony as well as the names of the members of the state cabinet.
Kejriwal has also appointed IAS officer Rajendra Kumar as his principal secretary.
Meanwhile, Pranab Mukherjee has cleared the decks for the appointment of Arvind Kejriwal as the 7th chief minister of Delhi.
According to television reports, President Pranab Mukherjee has forwarded the letter of appointment to a joint secretary level officer of ministry of home affairs.
The Aam Aadmi Party on Monday had staked claim to form the government in the national capital, and are meeting on Tuesday to finalize the Cabinet.
Kejriwal on Monday refused the high security cover provided by Delhi Police, saying “God is his biggest security.
In his letter to Delhi Police, Kejriwal said “Thank you for offering me security. But as I have already informed earlier, I don’t need any security, I don’t need any escort or PSO. God is my biggest security.”
Mewanwhile,  Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh has congratulated AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal for taking the opportunity to serve the state of Delhi as Chief Minister.
“I am sure he would fulfil his promises,” Digvijay said in a tweet last night. “Success of Kejriwal should now encourage all those who are bitter critics of politics and politicians to participate in electoral politics,” he said in a tweet.
Ending the fortnight-long dead lock, the Aam Aadmi Party had on Monday staked claim to form the government in the national capital with outside support from the Congress which it had trounced in the December 4 Assembly polls.
45-year-old Kejriwal, a civil society activist and former Indian Revenue Service officer whose party had stunned mainstream political parties in the Delhi Assembly polls, will take over as Chief Minister later this week.
Rajendra Kumar tipped to be Principal Secy to Kejriwal
A senior IAS officer, Rajendra Kumar, is tipped to become the Principal Secretary to Arvind Kejriwal, who is set to take over as Chief Minister of Delhi later this week. Like Kejriwal, 47-year-old Kumar, at present Higher Education Secretary, is an alumnus of IIT-Kharagpur. Kumar met Kejriwal at his residence here.
Chief Secretary D M Spolia also met Kejriwal. They were described as courtesy calls. Kejriwal may be sworn-in as Chief Minister at an oath- taking ceremony in Ramlila Maidan once President Pranab Mukherjee clears the Lt Governor’s proposal in this regard.
Meanwhile, newly elected AAP MLAs Rakhi Birla from Mangolpuri constituency, Somnath Bharti from Malviya Nagar and Manish Sisodia from Patparganj, who are tipped to become Ministers, met him.  (Agencies with inputs from PTI)