Atishi, the only female minister in the Delhi Cabinet, was chosen as the next Chief Minister of Delhi on Tuesday by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) after Arvind Kejriwal decided to step down following his release from Tihar jail on bail.
With this move, Atishi has not only become the youngest Chief Minister of Delhi and the third woman to hold the position but also the only woman Chief Minister in India after Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal.
However, questions arise as to why AAP chose Atishi over other leaders who have also served the party for many years.
Here are five reasons behind this:
1) Several prominent AAP leaders, including Saurabh Bharadwaj, Gopal Rai, Kailash Gahlot, and even Arvind Kejriwal’s wife, Sunita Kejriwal, were reportedly considered for the top post. However, Atishi emerged as the frontrunner as she had assumed a central role in the party after the arrest of Kejriwal and his former deputy, Manish Sisodia, in the liquor policy case.
2) During the arrest of Kejriwal and Sisodia, Atishi became the party’s face during the Lok Sabha elections. She not only connected with people face-to-face during these troubled times but also frequently appeared in the media, holding press conferences to defend her party and take on the ruling dispensation at the Centre. Her fiery arguments and point-by-point rebuttals made her one of the most deserving candidates to take up the top job in times of crisis.
Her visibility during the absence of AAP stalwarts helped her build a strong public image, making her a popular figure among voters in Delhi.
3) In March 2023, Atishi was appointed as a minister in the Delhi Cabinet, taking over from Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain, who had resigned due to their legal troubles. She was given charge of 14 departments, the highest number among her colleagues. Her most important portfolios include education, finance, planning, and public works.
Among these, the education portfolio has been particularly significant for both Atishi and AAP. AAP has consistently focused on improving the quality of education in Delhi, and Atishi has been at the forefront of these efforts. Before becoming a minister, she served as an advisor to Manish Sisodia, helping to shape Delhi’s education reforms, including the widely praised "Happiness Curriculum" and "Entrepreneurship Mindset Curriculum."
4) Atishi's background in education, policy, and governance, combined with her experience working on grassroots projects, made her a natural fit for the role. Her academic credentials—having studied at St Stephen’s College and the University of Oxford—also appealed to AAP’s educated, middle-class voter base.
5) Her leadership during crises, such as her hunger strike over water issues in Delhi, further cemented her position as a strong contender. Despite speculation that Kejriwal would continue running the government from jail, Atishi's proactive role in addressing public concerns and her growing influence within the party led to her eventual selection as Chief Minister.
Atishi, whose parents gave her the surname Marlena after combining the names of Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin, has risen to the top position, showing her dedication, political acumen, and strong leadership qualities. This made her the ideal choice to lead AAP in the crucial months leading up to the Delhi Assembly elections.
