Atishi Marlena: Activist-turned-educational reformer set to be Delhi’s next CM

Meanwhile, Atishi, an AAP MLA from Kalkaji constituency had also firmly made a mark as the key face of AAP when the party was grappling with a crisis as most of its top leaders were behind bars.

Education reformist

This Oxford University alumnus started her political career with the Aam Aadmi Party in 2013 and shot into prominence largely when she served as an educational advisor to deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia from 2015-2018. Clearly, she was the driving force behind the significant educations reforms that swept across Delhi’s government schools.

She was instrumental in reimagining school facilities, raising teaching standards, and launching several initiatives such as the "Entrepreneurship Mindset Curriculum" and the "Happiness Curriculum".

Pushed to the forefront

She was again propelled to the forefront in Delhi’s political landscape after Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain resigned their positions as ministers and Atishi was appointed to the Delhi cabinet on March 9, 2023 along with AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj. Both were sworn in as ministers in the Delhi cabinet and Atishi was handed over a slew of portfolios such the ministries of education, public works department (PWD), power, water and tourism.

Wily-nily, she became the face of AAP with the party’s top leaders, including Arvind Kejriwal in jail in connection with the Delhi excise policy graft case. Atishi took to the podium to articulate the party’s position in the absence of the top leadership and held her own.

In June, when Haryana government refused to listen to her pleas, she sat on an indefinite hunger strike as the capital reeled under a severe water crisis. She wanted the Haryana government to release 100 million gallons per day of water to Delhi. However, Atishi had to be hospitalised after her health condition deteriorated.

Educated, articulate

Notably, Atishi is among the most well-educated and articulate AAP leaders making her a favourite among the party's urban, middle-class support base. Atishi completed her high school education at Springdales School (Pusa Road), New Delhi, after which she got a bachelor's degree in history from St. Stephen's College, Delhi in 2001.

The AAP leader also attended Oxford University, where she earned a Chevening scholarship and finished her master's in History in 2003. As a Rhodes scholar, Atishi attended Magdalen College in Oxford in 2005.

Before she joined AAP, Atishi spent seven years in a small village in Madhya Pradesh where she got involved in organic farming and progressive education systems. She worked with several NGOs and it is here that she met some AAP members for the first time.

Political career

She joined the AAP at the time of its inception and played a key role in shaping the party’s policies in the early stages of formation. She is also a member of AAP's Political Affairs Committee (PAC) and had participated in the party's Manifesto Drafting Committee for the 2013 Assembly election.  

In 2015, she also took part in the historic Jal Satyagraha in Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh and provided support to the AAP leader and activist Alok Agarwal during the protests and legal battles he faced.

In 2019, Atishi was fielded against Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Gautam Gambhir from East Delhi Lok Sabha constituency but she lost the election by a margin of more than 4.5 lakh votes. However, in the 2020 Delhi Legislative Assembly elections, Atishi tasted success when she was given a ticket from Kalkaji constituency of South Delhi. She defeated BJP’s Dharambir Singh by at least 11,000 votes.

Atishi drops 'Marlena'

Born on June 8, 1981, Atishi, got her middle name 'Marlena from her professor parents Vijay Singh and Tripta Wahi. According to the AAP, the name is a combination of Marx and Lenin.

However, just before the elections, the political activist decided to stop using her surname in daily life and stuck to just 'Atishi' as her name in 2018.

Now, due to a series of events that have unfolded over the last year, Atishi Marlena gets a chance to be at the helm of the affairs of the capital.