Atishi Marlena Singh, the eighth Chief Minister of Delhi, has proved wrong the age-old belief that Indian politics is only for ‘rough and tough’ guys and that intellectuals only end up as backroom boys.
The 43-year-old Oxford alumni took over as the CM from AAP founder Arvind Kejriwal, etching her name in the history books forever.
An excellent performer in academics
Born to Delhi University professors Tripta Wahi and Vijay Singh on June 8, 1981, Atishi studied at famed Springdales School in Delhi.
Being a studious girl, Atishi Marlena excelled in studies, eventually earning two Masters Degrees from Oxford. What’s inspiring about Atishi is, she earned a Chevening Scholarship and was also a Rhodes scholar.
Tryst with activism leads to AAP
Growing up in a home where parents never shied away from activism, Atishi took to activism. Her inclination towards activism made her a member of Aam Admi Party (AAP).
Thanks to her academic background and credentials, Atishi Marlena Singh quickly rose in the newly formed AAP.
From assisting AAP leader Alok Agarwal in Jal Satyagraha in Madhya Pradesh in 2015 to contesting against popular cricketer Gautam Gambhir in 2019 from the East Delhi Loksabha segment, Atishi made giant strides quickly.
Atishi never contested an election until the 2019 Loksabha elections. Though she lost to Gambhir in her first election battle, she proved that she had the skills to dabble in electoral politics.
Proving that she is not just a scholarly activist but a shrewd politician, Atishi quickly decided to drop ‘Marlena’ from her name, as it sounded Christian in the run-up to the polls.
In a dramatic turn of events, Atishi even shed tears in public to gain sympathy during her maiden election battle.
Atishi Enters Delhi Assembly in 2020 and becomes a Minister in 2023
Atishi entered the Delhi Assembly in February 2020 by winning as an AAP candidate from the Kalkaji constituency. Later, she became a Minister in 2023, holding important portfolios like Education, Public Works Department (PWD), and others.
Atishi performance as MLA and Minister impressed AAP top leadership. After then Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia resigned and then CM Arvind Kejriwal was jailed in liquor scam case, Atishi emerged as the face of AAP.
The way she conducted administrative and party affairs when Arvind Kejriwal was in jail ensured that she became a trusted lieutenant of Kejriwal. This paved the way for her to succeed Kejriwal as Delhi CM.
Atishi’s Main Achievement
Atishi Marlena Singh’s biggest achievement is the reforms she initiated in the Delhi education system. From 2015 to 2018, she served as Advisor to former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and contributed to reforms in the Delhi education sphere.
Finally Becomes CM (Breaking Stereotypes)
Atishi Marlena has broken many stereotypes along the way of becoming Chief Minister of Delhi.
Everyone knows how tough it is for women to succeed in politics. Leave about success, even survival becomes a arduous task for the women leaders. But Atishi has braved the big bad world of Indian politics.
What makes her success even more inspiring is her background. Unlike leaders from powerful political families or nepo kids, Atishi came from an upper middle-class family of academics. Inspite, she has shown the grit to take on the powerful people and emerged a winner in Indian politics.
