After Arvind Kejriwal’s resignation as Delhi’s chief minister, 43-year-old senior AAP leader Atishi has been appointed as Delhi’s new chief minister. She is now Delhi’s third female chief minister, after Sheila Dixit and Sushma Swaraj.
Oxford-educated Atishi has been with AAP since its inception and was a key member of the party’s Manifesto Drafting Committee for Delhi’s 2013 assembly elections. Currently, she is a member of the party’s Political Affairs Committee.
Until 2018, Atishi served as Advisor to Education Minister Manish Sisodia. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Atishi contested from the East Delhi constituency, however, came third with BJP’s Gautam Gambhir winning the seat. Things started looking up for Atishi’s political leadership journey when she defeated BJP’s Dharambir Singh and won to become the MLA from the South Delhi constituency of Kalkaji in the 2020 Delhi assembly elections. After her win, she was appointed Cabinet Minister in the Delhi government and holds key portfolios like Finance, Power, Education, and Public Works Department.
Atishi, sometimes known as Atishi Marlena, was given the name Marlena by her parents. “Marlena” is a portmanteau of Marx and Lenin, revealing her professor-parents’ ideological leanings. Prior to the 2019 national elections, Atishi dropped Marlena from her name for public focus to remain on her work and not deviate to her lineage. According to AAP’s official website, Atishi is a committed activist who is working to bring about a change in society.
