Atishi's AAP-Strokes: Youngest Delhi CM To First Woman Opposition Leader In State Assembly

Last Updated:February 23, 2025, 16:13 IST

Atishi, earlier this month, resigned as the chief minister of Delhi, after serving for more than 150 days–making her the second longest serving woman CM after late Sheila Dikshit

As the BJP announced Rekha Gupta to be the chief minister, there was no better choice than Atishi in the AAP to take the battle forward. (PTI File)

Atishi has been selected as the leader of opposition in the Delhi assembly as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) makes its debut in the opposition space. She is the first woman to hold this post in the Delhi assembly.

Atishi, earlier this month, resigned as the chief minister of Delhi, after serving for more than 150 days–making her the second longest serving woman CM after late Sheila Dikshit. She was the third woman CM of Delhi. The AAP, which registered two sweeping victories in Delhi polls, was reduced to just 22 seats in the 2025 elections.

Atishi joined the AAP in 2013 at the time of its inception and for almost five years, she was away from the limelight, working behind the scenes. Apart from her role in the party, between 2015 and 2018, she served as an adviser to then education minister Manish Sisodia.

THE 2018 TURNING POINT

However, in 2018, a development gave Atishi front-page focus. A total of 10 advisers of the Delhi cabinet ministers were sacked by the union government, but everyone was talking about Atishi. It was claimed by the party that she was working as the adviser at a salary of Re 1 only. Her education from Oxford University and her contribution to the reforms were being talked about.

Months later, she was made the Lok Sabha face of the AAP as she contested the 2019 elections from East Delhi. But it was cricketer Gautam Gambhir who took away the seat.

That was probably the last time Atishi had faced defeat or a setback. In 2020, she became an MLA from Kalkaji and there was no looking back.

Atishi became the Delhi education minister in March 2023, replacing Sisodia when he had to quit after he was arrested in an alleged scam in the now-scrapped liquor policy. And with 13 departments in her hand, in no time, she was the minister with the highest portfolios in the Delhi government.

When all the top cabinet ministers were in jail in August 2024, she was selected to represent the Delhi government for the flag hoisting on August 15 at the state-level Independence Day event.

As then Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal was arrested in March, she remained the main face of the government, despite the cabinet having some senior leaders as well.

And as was expected, she was selected to replace Kejriwal as the chief minister when the bail conditions and the political situation forced the AAP supremo to step down. With over 150 days in power, she became the second longest serving woman CM in Delhi, after Dikshit who held the chair for over 15 years and is the longest serving CM, irrespective of gender.

RETAINED HER SEAT AGAINST BIDHURI

Atishi was 43 when she took the oath as the Delhi CM. Kejriwal was 45 when he took the oath for the first time in 2013, making him the youngest at that time.

Even in the 2025 elections, while several top AAP leaders, including Kejriwal and Sisodia, failed to get elected to the house, Atishi saved her seat against high-profile Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former MP Ramesh Bidhuri by over 3,500 votes. She bagged 52,154 votes.

At a time when the AAP is embroiled in corruption charges and its senior leaders are out on bail, Atishi was among the few names from the cabinet without any corruption cases.

As the BJP announced Rekha Gupta to be the chief minister, there was no better choice than Atishi in the AAP to take the battle forward.

After her election as the LOP, she posted on X saying the people of Delhi have assigned them the role of the opposition, and as a strong opposition, they will ensure that the BJP government fulfils all its promises made to the people of Delhi.

Even when her name was not selected as the LOP, she had started targeting the Gupta government for its failure to approve a monthly financial assistance scheme for women in Delhi, as promised by the top BJP leadership during campaigns.

For the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report issue that the BJP has been raising, on Sunday, while speaking to the media, she said as the CM, she had signed the reports and had sent them to the assembly speaker, clarifying that the reports were to be tabled no matter who was forming the government.

The fight between first-time MLA Gupta, as the CM, and Atishi, who has been in that chair, is going to be interesting, giving higher chances of women’s issues being prioritised in the house.

News politics Atishi's AAP-Strokes: Youngest Delhi CM To First Woman Opposition Leader In State Assembly