Cheers for New Delhi's new chief

NEW DELHI - Tens of thousands of people cheered Saturday as an anticorruption crusader who heads a new political party vowing to uproot graft from Indian politics was sworn in as the chief minister of India's capital.

Aam Aadmi, or the Common Man's Party, won 28 of Delhi's 70 assembly seats in elections this month, paving the way for its leader, Arvind Kejriwal, to take office. Kejriwal, a former civil servant, campaigned to rid the capital's government of corruption and inefficiency.

The Congress Party, which ruled theh city for three terms before Kejriwal's upstart party trounced it in the elections, has thrown its support behind Aam Aadmi.

On Saturday, crowds of supporters and onlookers thronged Ramlila Maidan park to watch as Kejriwal, 45, and six other ministers took over the reins of the capital city.

The fledgling party's success stems from its focus on eliminating corruption that plagues all levels of India's government, from top officials and ministers to minor bureaucrats demanding bribes for basic services.

The party's symbol - a broom - and its promise to sweep the administration of graft struck a chord with residents fed up with venal politicians, runaway inflation, and slowing economic growth. The Congress party has been blamed for widespread corruption.

Kejriwal, 45, traveled to the ceremony by public transport, using the underground metro service, in keeping with his promise to end the city's notorious VIP culture.