Atishi Marlena Singh is commonly known as Atishi, is an Indian politician with the Aam Aadmi Party. She became Chief Minister of Delhi on 17 September 2024, following the resignation of Arvind Kejriwal. Atishi is a member of the Aam Aadmi Party‘s Political Affairs Committee and holds the positions of Minister of Education, Public Works Department, Culture, and Tourism in the Delhi Government. From July 2015 to 17 April 2018, she was an advisor to former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, focusing primarily on education. Along with Mamata Banerjee, Atishi is one of only two women currently serving as chief ministers in India.

Politics:

In January 2013, Atishi began her involvement in policy formulation for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is rooted in the anti-corruption movement. She played a significant role in the Jal Satyagraha in Khandwa district, Madhya Pradesh, in 2015, supporting AAP leader Alok Agarwal during the historic protests and the subsequent legal battles. Following the 2020 elections, she was appointed the AAP’s in-charge for its Goa unit.

Lok Sabha:

During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Atishi was appointed the Lok Sabha in-charge for East Delhi and contested as the AAP candidate from that constituency. She finished third, losing to BJP’s Gautam Gambhir by a margin of 4.77 lakh votes.

Delhi Assembly Election:

In the 2020 Delhi Legislative Assembly election, Atishi contested from the Kalkaji constituency in South Delhi. She won the seat by defeating Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Dharambir Singh by a margin of 11,422 votes.

Cabinet Minister:

Atishi was inducted into the Delhi Government as a Cabinet Minister alongside Saurabh Bharadwaj following the resignation of Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Health Minister Satyender Jain.

Chief Minister:

On 17 September 2024, Atishi was appointed Chief Minister of Delhi during a meeting of Aam Aadmi Party MLAs at Arvind Kejriwal’s residence. At the age of 43, she became the youngest Chief Minister in Delhi’s history.

Governance:

Atishi has been leading the flagship Mohalla Sabha Project for the Government of NCT. This initiative aims to decentralize governance and empower citizens, aligning with a key promise made by the Aam Aadmi Party during its campaign.

Member of Legislative Assembly:

Since 2020, Atishi has been an elected member of the 7th Delhi Assembly, representing the Kalkaji Assembly constituency.

• Chairman: Public Accounts Committee
• Member: Questions & Reference Committee
• Member: Committee on Women and Child Welfare
• Member: Committee on Ethics
• Member: Committee on Welfare of Minorities
• Member: Standing Committee on Education
• Member: Standing Committee on Health

Political Disputes:

On March 15, 2019, Atishi Marlena and three other AAP leaders were summoned to court in a defamation case filed by Delhi BJP vice-president Rajeev Babbar. The case arose from their claim that the BJP had removed 30 lakh names from Delhi’s voter list. The court deemed the allegation prima facie defamatory and invoked Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) regarding defamation. The controversy centered on accusations of voter list manipulation and its implications for the BJP’s reputation.

In 2024, BJP leader Praveen Shankar Kapoor filed a defamation suit against Atishi and Arvind Kejriwal over allegations related to poaching.