On September 23, Atishi Marlena of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) officially assumed her role as Chief Minister of Delhi, honoring her predecessor, Arvind Kejriwal, by placing an empty chair next to hers in a symbolic gesture.
In her inaugural address, Atishi drew a parallel between her situation and that of Bharat from the Ramayana, stating, “I will carry the same responsibilities as Bharat did during Lord Ram’s absence. My aim is to govern Delhi with dedication for the next four months.”
She expressed optimism about Kejriwal’s re-election in the upcoming polls, affirming, “This chair is for Arvind Kejriwal, and it will remain here, awaiting his return.”
Atishi becomes the eighth Chief Minister of Delhi and only the third woman to hold the position, following in the footsteps of Sheila Dikshit and Sushma Swaraj.