When Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal proposed the name of Atishi, 43, as his successor, not many in AAP were surprised.
Though a section of the party credits her loyalty to the leader and gender as the reason for her elevation, Atishi’s whirlwind journey from a young activist to chief minister is a result of her intellect, determination, commitment to public service, and the ability to work hard.
She has shown an unwavering commitment to improving the lives of the people and represents a new generation of highly educated political leaders who are focused on transforming society for the better.
A winner of two coveted scholarships—Chevening and Rhodes—to study at the prestigious Magdalen College of the Oxford University and a Delhi University topper in history from St Stephen’s College, Atishi brought her academic excellence to the Delhi education system, and the transformative impact of her efforts is widely appreciated.
Upon her return from the UK, Atishi started working with an NGO in Madhya Pradesh, where she came in contact with lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan, who got her involved with the Anna Hazare movement.
When the AAP won its first election in 2015, she joined deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia as an advisor in the education department, where she drew a monthly salary of Rs 1.
As the education minister’s advisor, she focused on improving access of girls to education and improving physical infrastructure and quality of education in the government schools.
This resulted in an uptick in attendance, a higher pass percentage, and increased trust in government schools.
Among the first things she did as an education advisor was to check the availability and use of toilet cleaner, Harpic, in government schools. She believed that unusable toilets were one of the reasons why a large number of girls kept away from schools.
After fixing the toilets, she moved on to improving the class rooms and the morale of teachers. She made regular visits to schools to mentor the principals and teachers, learn about their problems and collaboratively find solutions and provide resources. She started the summer vacation projects for students and the parent-teacher meetings. This led to the much-talked about Delhi education revolution.
Acknowledging her dedication to public service, the party fielded her in the Assembly election, which she won and soon became a minister in spite of being a first-time MLA. Her ability to handle multiple responsibilities led to her swift rise in the government.
When Kejriwal and Sisodia were jailed in the liquor scam, the reins of the government were handed over to Atishi. She handled 14 ministries, the highest among all ministers. These included the top portfolios such as power, finance, revenue, PWD, education, etc.
The new chief minister is said to be extremely meticulous in handling official files and has an eye for details. Her peers at college say that she prepared outstanding notes for examinations when she was at Stephen’s. Some go to the extent of claiming that a large number of bureaucrats currently serving in the Government of India qualified UPSC exams using her notes, which are still in circulation.
Atishi was born in a highly educated family. Her parents taught in Delhi University. Her mother, Tripta Wahi, was a popular leader of the Delhi University Teachers’ Association who won many elections. Her Left-oriented parents gave Atishi the surname Marlena, which is created by joining the names of Marx and Lenin. Her decision to drop the surname has not stopped the opposition BJP from calling her an ‘urban Naxal’.
The BJP and Congress have labeled Atishi a rubber stamp for Kejriwal. They say the former chief minister was still calling the shots. They have said only the face of the government has changed, not the character.
The biggest challenge before the country’s youngest and Delhi’s third woman CM will be to emerge out of the shadow of her mentor and show that she was in control of the government.
