Editorial: The Spare Chair In Delhi

Ah, the age-old tradition of keeping chairs warm. Once upon a time in Indian politics, chairs weren’t just for sitting — they were symbols, placeholders, and occasionally the subject of melodramatic displays of loyalty. Enter Delhi Chief Minister Atishi Singh, who, in a gesture worthy of an epic saga, has decided to keep the original chief ministerial chair in her office dutifully reserved for her leader, Arvind Kejriwal. It’s tantamount to telling the world that he can reoccupy his chair anytime he wants. One wonders, is Atishi channelling her inner Bharat from Valmiki’s Ramayana? After all, Bharat famously ruled with his brother Ram’s footwear on the throne for 14 years. Atishi, the modern-day political equivalent in Delhi, is clearly taking no chances. Why sit in a chair when you can keep one eternally warm as a sign of your undying fealty?

Compare this to Tamil Nadu’s O Panneerselvam, who didn’t even dare grace Jayalalithaa’s chair during his brief chief ministership while legal complications forced her to remain at home. He always kept her photograph in his breast pocket, visible to the outside world. In contrast, we have Bihar’s Jitan Ram Manjhi, who took one look at Nitish Kumar’s chair and thought, “This is comfortable — I think I’ll stay.” So much for symbolism!

Meanwhile, in Delhi, Kejriwal — thanks to legal hiccups — can’t even pop into the secretariat for a casual chair swap. But with elections looming, Atishi has a cushy four months in the hot seat. The real question is: will Kejriwal ever return to reclaim the chair, or will Atishi follow Bharat’s playbook to the end, perhaps adding a pair of Kejriwal’s shoes next to the chair for good measure? Politics, after all, is full of suspense, drama, and the occasional game of musical chairs.