‘Delhi has only one CM, and that is Arvind Kejriwal’: Atishi after being named Delhi CM

Atishi addressing the media.

Minutes after being chosen as the leader of the AAP legislative party in Delhi, CM-designate Atishi addressing the media categorically reminded the electorate of Delhi that the national capital has only ‘one’ chief minister, and that is Arvind Kejriwal.

Earlier today, the AAP unanimously named Atishi to led the government in Delhi. The development comes two days after AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal announced his decision to step down from the chief minister’s position. Addressing a public rally on Sunday, Kejriwal vowed to return as Delhi CM only after the people through a fresh mandate express their faith in him. In his address, the AAP supremo also requested the Election Commission to conduct assembly polls in Delhi in November along with Maharashtra and Jharkhand.

"People of Delhi, AAP MLAs and I - as the CM for a few months till elections, will work with just one goal. We have to make Arvind Kejriwal the CM of Delhi once again. 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," said Atishi.

Atishi, 43, started off her political journey with the Aam Aadmi Party in 2013 and was key in the party’s policy formulation. 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 battle that followed.

The CM-designate accused the BJP of conspiring to topple the Arvind Kejriwal government through “back door” by imposition of the President's rule. She alleged that this is a part of BJP's "Operation Lotus" as the party's only job is to topple the elected governments in the country citing Maharashtra, Karnataka and Manipur. She added that people of Delhi love Kejriwal because he provided them good schools, hospitals, electric buses, free bus travel to women and free pilgrimage to the elderly.

The current term of the Delhi Assembly is set to expire on February 11, 2025. The last assembly election in Delhi was held on February 8, 2020. AAP secured 62 seats and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) 8 seats in the 70-member assembly.