Who Is Atishi Marlena Singh? Kejriwal & Sisodia’s Close Aide Is Delhi's Youngest Chief Minister

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday elected 43-year-old Atishi Marlena Singh, a close aide of party chief Arvind Kejriwal, as the new Chief Minister during a legislative party meeting. Following Arvind Kejriwal's resignation as Chief Minister, Atishi will be Delhi's new CM. After Kejriwal's resignation announcement on Sunday, speculation about Atishi's appointment had intensified. Puting an end to speculations, party chief Arvind Kejriwal himself proposed Atishi's name in the meeting, which was unanimously backed by MLAs. Atishi will become the third woman Chief Minister of Delhi, following Sushma Swaraj and Sheila Dikshit. Currently, TMC's Mamata Banerjee is the only serving woman Chief Minister, but Atishi Marlena is set to join her on the list.

Atishi was given the middle name 'Marlena' by her parents. According to AAP, the name is a portmanteau of Marx and Lenin. 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.

Who is Atishi?

Born to Delhi University professors Vijay Kumar Singh and Tripta Wahi, Atishi has an impressive academic background, with a history degree from St. Stephen’s College and two Master's degrees from Oxford University, one as a Rhodes Scholar.

She also spent seven years in a Madhya Pradesh village, engaging in organic farming and education reform, which eventually led her to join AAP at its inception. Atishi has been instrumental in shaping AAP's policies and is known for her calm presence in media debates. Her focus on education and commitment to public welfare make her a significant figure in Indian politics.

Before being inducted into the Delhi cabinet, she served as an advisor to Education Minister Manish Sisodia, playing a key role in improving government schools in Delhi.

Political Journey

Atishi, started off her political journey with the Aam Aadmi Party in 2013 and was key in the party’s policy formulation. In 2015, she also took part in the historic Jal Satyagraha in Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh and provided support to the AAP leader and activist Alok Agarwal during the protests and legal battle that followed. In 2019, the Oxford University alumnus was fielded against BJP's Gautam Gambhir from East Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, which Atishi lost by a margin of more than 4.5 lakh votes. In the Delhi Legislative Assembly elections, which were held in 2020, Atishi was given a ticket from Kalkaji constituency of South Delhi. She defeated BJP’s Dharambir Singh by at least 11,000 votes.