NEW DELHI: Atishi has officially taken the oath as the new Chief Minister of Delhi, succeeding Arvind Kejriwal. She will lead the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government until February 2025. This transition follows Kejriwal's resignation amid a corruption case related to the Delhi liquor policy.
The oath-taking ceremony was conducted by Lieutenant General VK Saxena, who welcomed Atishi along with her cabinet, which includes experienced ministers such as Gopal Rai, Kailash Gahlot, Saurabh Bharadwaj, Imran Hussain, and newcomer Mukesh Ahlawat.
Atishi was unanimously selected as the Chief Minister during an AAP legislature party meeting held on Tuesday. Her appointment marks a significant shift in Delhi's political landscape after Kejriwal's resignation, which came shortly after he was granted bail by the Supreme Court.
With Assembly elections approaching in February next year, Kejriwal mentioned he would only return as Chief Minister if voters affirm his integrity.
During her tenure, Atishi will tackle several pressing issues, including the acceleration of welfare programs like the Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana, the rollout of the Electric Vehicle Policy 2.0, and the implementation of doorstep service delivery.
Who is Atishi?
Atishi, an alumnus of Oxford University and a Rhodes scholar, becomes the third woman to serve as Chief Minister of Delhi, following the paths of Sushma Swaraj and Sheila Dikshit. Her political career has been swift; she started as an advisor in 2015, became an MLA in 2020, and has now ascended to the Chief Minister role in 2024. She is recognized for her significant contributions to enhancing education in government schools during her tenure as an advisor to former Education Minister Manish Sisodia.
Atishi was born on June 8, 1981, to educator parents, Vijay Singh and Tripta Wahi. Interestingly, she chose to drop her surname in everyday life in 2018, opting to be known simply as Atishi.
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