AAP's Atishi Makes History As 1st Female Leader Of Opposition In Delhi

Atishi has been chosen as the leader of the Aam Aadmi Party in the Delhi Assembly, making her the first female Leader of Opposition. The former Delhi CM and Kalkaji MLA told reporters in a press conference, "I am thankful to AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal for giving me the responsibility of the legislative party (as LoP). The public has given us the duty of opposition and AAP will show what a strong opposition it is." With Bharatiya Janata Party's Rekha Gupta taking charge as the Chief Minister, this is the first time Delhi will have an all-female assembly. 

AAP leader Gopal Rai said, "...The people have given a mandate to AAP to sit in Opposition. In the Delhi Assembly, Atishi will be the Leader of Opposition... AAP will ensure BJP fulfils its promises made during the elections, Atishi has the responsibility to protect the good work done by the party during our rule."

VIDEO | Addressing a press conference in Delhi, AAP MLA Atishi (@AtishiAAP) says, “I am thankful to AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal for giving me the responsibility of the legislative party (as LoP). The public has given us the duty of opposition and AAP will show what a… pic.twitter.com/x0jju2kjRs

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 23, 2025

Who is Atishi?

Atishi served as the Chief Minister of Delhi from September 2024 to February 2024. In the 2025 Delhi Legislative Assembly election, Atishi won from the Kalkaji constituency, defeating BJP's contender Ramesh Bidhuri by 3521 votes.

An Oxford University alumnus and a Rhodes scholar, Atishi has held at least 14 key portfolios in her distinguished political career. Atishi, who has a Rhodes Scholarship from Magdalen College, Oxford, is an Indian Politician, political activist, and educator from the Kalkaji constituency.

Atishi stepped into politics in 2013 and contested the Lok Sabha election from the East Delhi seat in 2019. She lost to Bharatiya Janata Party's Gautam Gambhir by a margin of approximately 4.77 lakh votes and came third. Later in the 2020 Delhi Legislative Assembly election, she defeated Dharambir Singh, a BJP candidate by a total of 11,422 votes. 

She was inducted into the Delhi Government as a Cabinet Minister, along with Saurabh Bharadwaj after the resignation of Deputy Chief Minister Sisodia and Health Minister Satyender Jain.

The AAP leader served as the Education Minister, P.W.D, Culture and Tourism in the Delhi Government. She was a key member and Advisor for the Former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia's team. Atishi is also recognised for her social impact and activism efforts, according to the AAP website. 

Atishi is married to Pravin Singh, a researcher and educator by profession. Pravin Singh earned his degree from IIT Delhi and IIM Ahmedabad.