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December 31, 2013

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Delhi chief鈥檚 1st day on job spoiled by illness

Source: AFP | December 31, 2013, Tuesday | Print Edition

India’s anti-corruption activist Arvind Kejriwal was swept to power last month on a promise of greater transparency and he began office yesterday true to his word — admitting that Delhi belly had spoiled his first day.

Kejriwal, whose pledge to fight for India’s common man won over voters in New Delhi state polls, had been set to start governing the capital yesterday after being sworn in as chief minister over the weekend.

But after weeks of rallies in a gruelling election campaign that pitted him against the two main political parties, Kejriwal said he had fallen ill with diarrhoea and a severe fever and could not come into the office.

“Running 102 fever since yesterday. Severe loose motions. Sad that I won’t be able to attend office today,” the former tax official tweeted on his verified Twitter account.

“It was so imp to attend office today. We had planned the water announcement. God, bahut galat time par bimaar kiya (you’ve had me sick at a very wrong time.)”

Kejriwal, whose Aam Aadmi party was born out of an anti-corruption mass movement two years ago, has pledged free water to households in Delhi and to slash electricity bills.

He has more than 961,000 followers on Twitter and regularly tweets to share his views.

His latest comments were an instant hit on Twitter.

“When the Chief Minister gives you minute by minute update on his bowel movements ... Hail democracy,” said a Congress party spokeswoman Priyanka Chaturvedi.

“Will Arvind Kejriwal pass the motion? That is the question we are asking tonight,” said television editor Ritupana Chatterjee.

Kejriwal’s party agreed to lead the Delhi government with outside support from the Congress party which rules nationally but was pushed to a distant third place at the Delhi elections.

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