Manish Sisodia, the man Friday of Arvind Kejriwal, came to prominence during Anna Hazare’s movement for Jan Lokpal Bill in 2011.
The 41-year-old is also part of Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) central working committee and it came as no surprise that he was selected in Mr. Kejriwal’s Cabinet. He has been given charge of Education, PWD, Urban Development, Local Bodies, and Land and Building departments.
The journalist-turned-activist-turned-politician defeated BJP’s Nakul Bhardwaj by over 11,000 votes from the Patparganj constituency in East Delhi.
Mr. Sisodia has a diploma in journalism from Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan and has worked as a journalist with Zee News and All India Radio for a long time. He later quit journalism to participate in the agitation for the Right To Information.
He was one of the founding members of the Janlokpal agitation and part of the team which chalked out its first draft. When Anna Hazare was arrested and sent to jail during the agitation, he too was sent to prison.
Mr. Sisodia also sat on fast for ten days demanding the setting up of an SIT to probe cases against corrupt Union ministers.
He had declared assets worth Rs. 41,83,942 in his election affidavit.
