Atishi to be Delhi’s new chief minister

Senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi will be the new chief minister of Delhi replacing Arvind Kejriwal who announced his resignation after he got bail from the Supreme Court in a case of alleged corruption.

43-year-old Atishi’s name for the chief minister’s post was proposed by Kejriwal at a meeting of AAP legislators in New Delhi today and endorsed by the meeting participants.  

Kejriwal, who was released from jail on Friday, announced on Sunday that he would resign from the post and would only return if people give him a “certificate of honesty.”

Kejriwal is expected to submit his resignation later today, making way for the oath-taking of Atishi as new chief minister. 

Atishi is a prominent face of AAP and the party’s government in Delhi holding the maximum number of portfolios, including finance, education and PWD.

Two days ago, Kejriwal had announced that he would resign as the chief minister of Delhi within 48 hours.

Atishi will be the third woman chief minister of Delhi after Sushma Swaraj of BJP and Sheila Dikshit of Congress.

Atishi is widely credited with spearheading major reforms in schools run by the Delhi government.  As an advisor to deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, she played a crucial role in revamping the crumbling school infrastructure and  improving teaching standards.

Atishi holds a degree from St. Stephen's College, Delhi University, and later pursued a master's degree in education from Oxford University on a Chevening scholarship.

Atishi’s stint in government began in March 2023 when she was inducted into the Delhi cabinet headed by Kejriwal and given the portfolios of education, public works department (PWD), power, and tourism after the resignation of former ministers Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain in corruption cases.

Apart from her work in education, Atishi is also a strong advocate for environmental issues. She has actively promoted policies related to renewable energy, pollution control, and sustainability in Delhi.