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It may seem to be a small journey of 11 years, but the rise has not only been phenomenal, but meteoric. Atishi, the new Chief Minister -designate of Delhi, from being the first time MLA to making it to the top post is no cake-walk. She will also hold the distinction of being only the third woman after Sushma Swaraj and Sheila Dikshit. Her ascent to the Chief Ministerial role is marked by monumental shifts in AAP’s internal dynamics, with senior leaders like Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain embroiled in legal battles.
A Rhodes Scholar and Oxford University alumnus, Atishi’s academic credentials are matched by her experience in public service, particularly in the education sector. A major architect behind Delhi’s education reforms, she spearheaded AAP’s efforts to improve government schools, a hallmark initiative of Arvind Kejriwal’s administration.
Atishi was the founding member of Aam Aadmi Party and played a pivotal role in shaping its policies, including as a key member of the 2013 Manifesto Drafting Committee. She spent seven years in a Madhya Pradesh village, focusing on organic farming and progressive education. This experience played a crucial role in strengthening her dedication to political change. In 2015, she participated in the ‘Jal satyagraha’ in Madhya Pradesh. In 2019, Atishi lost to BJP’s Gautam Gambhir with a significant margin in the Lok Sabha elections. However, in 2020, she was elected as an MLA from the Kalkaji Assembly constituency in Delhi. After the arrest of Jain and Sisodia, Atishi was holding the largest number (13) of key portfolios, making her one of the most powerful minister. She played a pivotal role in improving the infrastructure of Delhi government schools, setting up school management committees in line with the Right to Education Act, and strengthening regulations to curb arbitrary fee hikes by private schools.
She also introduced the innovative “happiness” curriculum, aimed at enhancing the overall well-being and emotional development of students.
Atishi was unanimously chosen as chief minister designate during the legislature party meeting on Tuesday. In her first remarks after being chosen to replace Kejriwal, she thanked him and called him her elder brother. Crediting the Aam Aadmi Party , she said it was only possible here that a first-time politician could be given such a huge responsibility. Being chosen just months short of Delhi polls, Atishi has her task cut out. She will have to hold cabinet meetings to approve and fast track key projects and policies like the Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana and the Electric Vehicle 2.0 Policy among others.
However, soon after her nomination as the Chief Minister, Rajya Sabha member Swati Maliwal expressed her disapproval, accusing her parents of writing mercy petitions on behalf of Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist Afzal Guru. Also. It is worth noting that she dropped her middle name ‘Marlena’ just before the 2019 elections, a mix of Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin with whom her parents were highly influenced.
Certainly, the road ahead for Atishi will not be smooth as the Delhi elections are nearing and the tasks to be accomplished are many. Since the party workers are Kejriwal’s loyalist, it will be an uphill task to keep the party glued well under her leadership.
