Will Arvind Kejriwal leave Leader of the House post as well for Atishi?

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) president Arvind Kejriwal stepped down from the post of Delhi Chief Minister and chose party MLA Atishi for the top post until Assembly election early next year. However, questions remain over whether Kejriwal would leave the seat of the Leader of the House in Delhi Assembly as he faces a probe in the liquor policy case.
Traditionally, it is expected that Atishi, as the leader of AAP legislators, should occupy the seat of the Leader of the House. However, on her first day in the new role, Atishi left the chief minister’s chair vacant in her office, which was seen as her unabashed declaration and allegiance to Arvind Kejriwal.
It is a standard practice that the Chief Minister is elected the Leader of the House. Considering Atishi left Arvind Kejriwal’s chair empty in her office, there is a possibility that she may leave his seat vacant in the Delhi Assembly as well if she assumes the role of Leader of the House.
Another possibility is that Arvind Kejriwal, despite stepping down as the Chief Minister, might retain the Leader of the House seat to keep his influence on the party and the government.
AAP leader and Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel is of the opinion that Kejriwal will remain the Leader of the House.
“Arvind Kejriwal will sit on the chair reserved for the Leader of the House. Atishi, the new Chief Minister, will sit next to him on the second chair. The ministers will then take their seats according to their seniority,” he told India Today TV.
Sudarshan Kumar Sharma, former Secretary of Delhi Assembly, said the Speaker decides the seating arrangement in the House.
“The Speaker has the authority to alter seating arrangements based on specific demands by the party and can take appropriate decisions accordingly,” he said.
But can any legislator, other than the Chief Minister, be designated as the Leader of the House?
According to Ram Niwas Goel, there is no binding rule necessitating the Chief Minister to hold this designation.
“Any member, such as Arvind Kejriwal in the current context, can be named the Leader of the House,” Goel said.
Sudarshan Kumar Sharma differed, pointing out that as per tradition, the Chief Minister should be the Leader of the House.
“There is no precedence of designating any member other than the Chief Minister to this position,” Sharma noted.
He said that while the Speaker’s decision to appoint another member might be against the rules, it would be a departure from the standard practice.