New Delhi, Sep 21 (PTI) Delhi’s third and the youngest woman chief minister Atishi has taken over the baton from Arvind Kejriwal at a tumultuous time for the AAP which is battling corruption allegations. But she is not new to such situations.
The graduate from the prestigious St Stephen’s College rose steadily through the ranks in the AAP, from being an advisor to then deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on education policies to becoming a minister and subsequently succeeding Kejriwal to the chief minister’s post.
Her induction into the cabinet happened when the government was going through testing times following the arrest of Kejriwal’s trusted lieutenant and then deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia by the CBI last year in the excise policy case.
She was in charge of 13 major portfolios in the Kejriwal government such as finance, revenue, education and public works department and also managed the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP’s) operations during her predecessor’s time in Tihar jail in connection with the excise policy case.
With assembly elections in Delhi due early next year, the new chief minister has her task cut out during this brief period and will be running against time to expedite crucial programmes and policies as her party looks to retain power in next year’s assembly polls.
As chief minister, Atishi (43) will be tasked with holding meetings of the cabinet, which has not been held since Kejriwal’s incarceration, as well as the meetings of the National Capital Civil Service Authority for transfer and postings of bureaucrats in the Delhi government. She will continue to be in charge of the 13 portfolios previously held by her.
She will have to ensure the successful implementation of schemes like the Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana, Electric Vehicle Policy 2.0 and doorstep delivery of services among others as the AAP looks up to her for a triumphant return to power in 2025.
Due to the five-month-long judicial custody of Kejriwal in the excise policy case, the AAP government has been struggling to address issues related to basic services and infrastructure, including roads, water supply and sewer and medicines, owing to a fund crunch, as claimed by party leaders.
Days after his release from jail on bail, Kejriwal shocked everyone by resigning from the chief minister’s post to seek a “certificate of honesty” from the people.
She was unanimously chosen as the chief minister-designate during the AAP legislature party meeting here last Tuesday which showed that she enjoys the confidence of Kejriwal and Sisodia.
Atishi made her foray into electoral politics in 2019 when she unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha polls from East Delhi against BJP’s Gautam Gambhir.
Before venturing into active politics, she dropped her Marlena surname, a portmanteau of Marx and Lenin, since she did not want her political affiliations to be misconstrued.
In 2020, Atishi contested the Delhi Assembly polls and was elected an MLA from Kalkaji.
Her parents, Vijay Singh and Tripta Wahi were Delhi University professors. She has a bachelor’s degree in history and is a topper of her batch. She also holds postgraduate degrees in education and history from Oxford University. PTI SLB NSD NSD
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