New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party leader Atishi Marlene has taken office as the Chief Minister of Delhi. She is seated in a chair placed right next to that of former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Atishi told the media that the chair was left vacant for Kejriwal’s return. She likened her situation to that of Bharata from the Ramayana, stating that, in the absence of Shri Ram, she would govern the country from the elevated throne. “The same burden that Bharata carried is what I bear today. I will govern Delhi with the same mindset that Bharata had while ruling in Shri Ram’s absence for the next four months. I am confident that the people of Delhi will reinstate Arvind Kejriwal in the next elections. Until then, this chair will remain empty in the office as I await his return,” Atishi said.
Meanwhile, the BJP ridiculed the empty chair, calling it a political stunt and accusing the Aam Aadmi Party of mocking its own constitution. Atishi became the first female Chief Minister of Delhi since Sheila Dikshit and Sushma Swaraj, and she is the third woman and the eighth Chief Minister overall of Delhi. Alongside Atishi, Gopal Rai, Kailash Gahlot, Saurabh Bharadwaj, Imran Hussain, and Mukesh Ahlawat were also sworn in as ministers.
Arvind Kejriwal announced his resignation after being granted bail in a liquor policy corruption case. Other than Atishi, there were no other candidates for the Chief Minister position in Delhi, as she was seen as Kejriwal’s strong voice in the Aam Aadmi Party. Kejriwal himself proposed Atishi’s name in the party’s political affairs committee, with support from senior leaders like Manish Sisodia, leading to her appointment as Chief Minister.
