Atishi Singh set to become India’s second female chief minister

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) names Atishi Marlena Singh, as new Chief Minister of Delhi after Arvind Kejriwal's resignation.

Atishi Marlena Singh has been named the new Chief Minister of Delhi after Arvind Kejriwal's resignation, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) announced on Tuesday.

Arrvind Kejriwal, who recently secured bail in a graft case, stepped down from his position, citing the need for a fresh electoral mandate to prove his integrity.

He has called for the Delhi election to be moved up to November from its scheduled date in February 2025.

Atishi Singh, who is currently the only female minister in Delhi's cabinet, has held multiple portfolios, including finance and education.

She has been a significant figure in the AAP government and is known for her contributions to improving Delhi's education system.

A member of the AAP since 2013, she was previously involved in the 2015 Jal Satyagraha protests and contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections unsuccessfully.

However, she won the Kalkaji constituency in the 2020 Delhi Assembly elections. Singh holds degrees in History from Delhi University and Oxford University, and is a Chevening scholar.

Arvind Kejriwal’s resignation marks a significant shift in Delhi's political landscape, with Atishi Singh poised to take the helm of the capital’s government.

Atishi, a key figure in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and a close aide of Arvind Kejriwal, has served in various significant roles within Delhi's government, including education, finance, revenue, and law.

Her nomination was confirmed during a legislative meeting of AAP leaders in New Delhi on Tuesday morning.

The resignation of Kejriwal, who has faced allegations he claims are politically motivated, paves the way for Atishi to assume the role of Delhi's chief minister.

She is scheduled to take the oath of office later today at approximately 4.30pm.

As Delhi’s new leader, Atishi is expected to continue her impactful work in education and governance, which has marked her tenure in the Delhi government.

Earlier this year, an Indian court sent Delhi Chief Minister and key opposition leader Arvind Kejriwal to jail in a corruption case, less than three weeks before the country begins voting in a seven-phase national election.

India’s financial crimes investigating agency, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), had arrested Kejriwal last month in connection with allegations related to the capital city’s liquor policy and he had been remanded to the agency’s custody.

A few months later, India’s highest court granted bail to opposition leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a corruption case, paving the way for his release almost six months after he was arrested.

Arvind Kejriwal, a key leader in an alliance against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in elections this year, was first detained in March over a long-running corruption probe, which his colleagues described as a “political conspiracy” orchestrated by the governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).