From activist to becoming Delhi CM: The rise of Atishi in politics

The wait is over as Delhi welcomes Atishi Marlena Singh as its new chief minister. She gained support from Manish Sisodia and became a formidable candidate to head the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) administration in the nation's capital. Atishi was chosen to succeed party leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal at a legislative meeting that was conducted at his home.

The former IRS officer is also said to tender his resignation to the LG later. The appointment of new Chief Minister comes ahead of the elections in the national capital and after Kejriwal announced on Sunday that he would resign and would not resume the CM's post until the people of Delhi declared him "honest".

Atishi Singh has been a front face of the AAP government ever since the former deputy CM Manish Sisodia was jailed in an alleged excise policy case. In 2023, she was named to the Delhi Government's Ministry of Education, PWD, Culture, and Tourism. Atishi was Sisodia's advisor from 2015 to 2018, mostly in the area of education.

Personal life

Atishi, whose parents are professors Vijay Singh and Tripta Wahi, gave her the middle name "Marlena" when she was born on June 8, 1981. The AAP claims that the name is a combination of Lenin and Marx.

However, just as the elections neared, the political activist decided to stop using her surname in daily life and adopt "Atishi" as her name in 2018.
 

Her education

Atishi graduated from Springdales School (Pusa Road), New Delhi, with a high school diploma. 2001 saw her graduate from St. Stephen's College in Delhi with a bachelor's degree in history.

The AAP leader completed her master's degree in history in 2003 at Oxford University, where she was awarded a Chevening fellowship. In 2005, Atishi studied at Oxford's Magdalen College as a Rhodes scholar.

Her political journey

Atishi, 43, began her political career in 2013 with the Aam Aadmi Party and played a significant role in the creation of the party's policies. She also participated in the famous Jal Satyagraha in the Madhya Pradesh district of Khandwa in 2015, and she supported AAP leader and activist Alok Agarwal during the demonstrations and the court dispute.

The Oxford University alumni faced out against Gautam Gambhir of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the East Delhi Lok Sabha seat in 2019. Atishi was defeated by a margin of over 4.5 lakh votes.

Atishi was issued a ticket for the 2020 Delhi Legislative Assembly elections from the South Delhi Kalkaji seat. She won by at least 11,000 votes over Dharambir Singh of the BJP.

Her journey as minister

The educational scene in Delhi has seen a notable transition, mostly due to Atishi's efforts. Numerous studies have emphasised her critical role in enhancing Delhi government school facilities, establishing school management committees compliant with the Right to Education Act, and fortifying laws to prevent private schools from arbitrarily raising fees.

She also unveiled the ground-breaking "happiness" curriculum, which aims to improve pupils' emotional growth and general well-being.