India's new Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was inaugurated Saturday as the state government of the capital, Delhi, at the protest site where it began as a grassroots anti-graft movement, according to dpa. Party leader Arvind Kejriwal took the oath as chief minister to cheers from tens of thousands of supporters wearing the trademark AAP white cap. "Today is a historic day; it is a victory for the people of Delhi," Kejriwal told an estimated 100,000 onlookers. "The battle we fought was not to make Arvind Kejriwal chief minister but to put governance in the hands of the common man." The party chose the sprawling outdoor site of the Ramlila grounds instead of the office of the lieutenant governor, where the ceremony is usually held, to allow people to participate in the event. Six first-time legislators, aged 26 to 49, took oaths with Kejriwal as ministers of the new government. They are all professionals who left careers in the media, software industry, law and architecture to join Kejriwal's anti-corruption campaign. The party's first electoral contest gave it 28 of 70 seats in the state Legislative Assembly. The main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party led with 32 seats, but it was unable to form a coalition government. The incumbent Indian National Congress party was washed out with only eight seats but offered to give the new party enough support to allow it to form a minority government. "It is a divine miracle," Kejriwal said. "Who would have thought that in a year and half a common man's party would govern Delhi?" "We will soon face a confidence motion in the assembly," Kejriwal said. "It does not matter if we win or lose. If we lose, the people are ready to elect us again with a bigger margin." The AAP has promised it would usher in a corruption-free government and provide cheap electricity and free water to citizens of Delhi. Its ministers would not be using siren-topped cars - Kejriwal and his team took the Metro to the inaugural - and have refused accommodation in sprawling government bungalows. "We are not arrogant to think we can solve all problems," Kejriwal said. "We do not have a magic wand, ... but we believe that if the 1.5 crore [15 million people] of Delhi get together, there is no problem that cannot be solved." "This government is not going to be run by ministers, bureaucrats, the police," he said. "The government will be run by the people of Delhi." The new chief minister ended his speech with a request for people to take an oath that they would neither take or give bribes and a prayer for friendship and equity. Indians face corruption at numerous levels in their daily lives with government officials and police often demanding bribes. "If anyone asks for a bribe, agree to pay it and fix an appointment," Kejriwal said. "I will give you a number. Call us, and we will catch the bribe takers red-handed." Right after the inauguration, Kejriwal went to the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi, leader of India's independence movement and an advocate of non-violent protest, to pay his respects and then went to the secretariat to get down to business. The new government would be working over the weekend, AAP spokesman Raghu Chadha said. "This is the beginning of a political evolution in India," Chadha said. "AAP is in for the long haul." The party plans to contest several seats across the country in the general elections scheduled to be held by May.
