Raaj Kumar Anand.
Credit: X/@RaajKumarAnand1
New Delhi: Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena has forwarded the resignation of Delhi minister Raaj Kumar Anand to the President following the recommendation of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Raj Niwas officials said on Monday.
In his only official communication during the period when he was out on interim bail in the Delhi excise policy case, Kejriwal recommended the acceptance of Anand's resignation, they said.
"The LG has forwarded the resignation to the President of India for consideration, as required by law," an official said.
Anand had resigned from the cabinet and quit the ruling AAP on April 10, alleging diversion of funds for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes for other purposes and schemes and that Dalits were not given adequate representation in the party.
He joined the BSP on May 5 and contested the Lok Sabha elections from the New Delhi constituency on a party ticket.
Anand held various portfolios, including Social Welfare, SC/ST Welfare and Cooperatives.
In his recommendation to the LG, Kejriwal did not allocate the departments held by Anand to any other minister, according to the officials.
"With no recommendation being made for reallocation, all these departments will automatically go to the chief minister who is in jail," the official added.
Kejriwal surrendered at the Tihar jail here on Sunday after his interim bail in the excise policy-linked money laundering case ended on June 1. He was granted the 21-day relief for campaigning in the Lok Sabha elections.