AAP leader Atishi officially took charge as the eighth chief minister of Delhi on Monday, following the resignation of Arvind Kejriwal. Atishi, 43, vowed to run the government for the next four months. After assuming office, Atishi placed an empty chair next to hers, in a symbolic gesture toward her party chief Mr Kejriwal. Delhi is going to vote in February next year and the AAP is hoping that this move of Kejriwal to resign and seek a fresh mandate will bring the party back to power. Even though many, including Atishi herself, believe that she will be CM for four months but cannot deny the fact that her becoming CM has made national politics more exciting.
She is a young woman CM and is well educated and articulated. She has already demonstrated her capabilities by taking on powerful BJP leaders on various issues. The AAP leadership deserves appreciation for making a woman a CM. Often, women find it very difficult to get important posts in politics. Even here in Arunachal Pradesh, very few women are elected to the state assembly. After getting elected also they do not get proper posts. This time Anjaw MLA Dasanglu Pul, a woman legislator, became a minister after a long gap. The achievement of the likes of Atishi should be an inspiration for the younger generation. Political differences aside, everyone should celebrate such success in a deeply conservative male-dominated country like India.