Will Work Under Arvind Kejriwal's Guidance, Protect People of Delhi: Atishi

New Delhi: After being named the next Chief Minister of Delhi on Tuesday, AAP's Atishi addressed the media, affirming that Arvind Kejriwal will always remain the city's Chief Minister. Describing Kejriwal as her "guru," Atishi emphasised that her main goal is to secure his re-election in the upcoming Assembly polls. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) unanimously chose Atishi as the new Chief Minister following Kejriwal's proposal of her name as his successor during a meeting of the party's legislators.

In her first reaction after the major announcement, Atishi said, "Delhi has only one Chief Minister and that is Arvind Kejriwal ... I will work for the next few months towards the goal of bringing back Kejriwal as Delhi Chief Minister."

She added, “I am happy, but also sad that my elder brother Arvind Kejriwal is resigning today: Atishi on being designated Delhi CM.”

Atishi, the sole woman minister in the Delhi Cabinet, highlighted the unique opportunity in AAP where a "first-time politician becomes the Chief Minister of a state." She noted, "Had I been in any other party, perhaps I would not even have been given an election ticket. But Arvind Kejriwal trusted me, made me an MLA and a minister and today gave me the responsibility of the Chief Minister," referring to her roles, including overseeing 14 portfolios like finance.

She pledged to work under Kejriwal's guidance, which led the BJP to label her as a "puppet Chief Minister of Delhi." Atishi responded, "As long as I am shouldering this huge responsibility, I will have just one goal... I will try to protect the people of Delhi and run the government under the guidance of Arvind Kejriwal ."

The new Chief Minister will face significant challenges with Assembly elections looming in six months, contending with an assertive BJP and a resurgent Congress . Atishi added, "Voters of Delhi know that if Arvind Kejriwal is not elected back, the education, health, free electricity schemes will be affected."

Earlier in the day, AAP MLAs unanimously selected Atishi as the next Chief Minister, with Kejriwal's backing. This decision followed Kejriwal’s announcement that he would resign from the position, which came two days after he was granted bail in the liquor policy case by the Supreme Court.

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Atishi, given credit for many of the AAP government's achievements in the education sector, was inducted into the Delhi cabinet in March last year and has been playing a crucial role both in the government as well as the party when AAP convener Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 in connection with the excise policy case.

The 43-year-old who holds 14 portfolios, including finance, education and revenue and was amongst those holding the fort while Kejriwal was in jail, will be the third woman chief minister of Delhi after Congress ’ Sheila Dikshit and BJP ’s Sushma Swaraj.

Though Atishi was a frontrunner for the post and considered close to both Kejriwal and his second in command Manish Sisodia, the speculation over who would succeed him was intense. Ending the debate, Kejriwal proposed the name of the Kalkaji legislator at a meeting of the AAP legislative party and it was accepted unanimously.

The daughter of Delhi University professors Vijay Singh and Tripta Wahi, Atishi did her schooling from Springdales School and went on to graduate from St Stephen’s College. She did her Masters from Oxford University.