Atishi Marlena

Atishi Singh[3] is an Indian politician, educator, political activist and MLA from Delhi.[4] She is a member of the Political Affairs Committee of Aam Aadmi Party. She served as Advisor to the Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia, primarily on education, from July 2015 to 17 April 2018.[5]

Atishi Singh[1]
Member of Delhi Legislative Assembly
Assumed office
12 February 2020
Preceded byAvtar Singh
ConstituencyKalkaji
Personal details
Born (1981-06-08) 8 June 1981
Delhi, India
Political partyAam Aadmi Party
ParentsVijay Singh (father)
Tripta Wahi (mother)
Alma materDelhi University (BA)
University of Oxford (Double MA)
Known forEducation policies,[2]
Political activism

Early life and education

Atishi was born to Delhi University professors Vijay Singh and Tripta Wahi on 8 June 1981 in Punjabi Rajput family.[6][7] She was given the middle name 'Marlena' by her parents as a portmanteau of Marx and Lenin. As she grew up, she chose to use "Atishi" as her name, dropping her surname from daily use, since she wanted people to focus on her work rather than her lineage.[8][9] After being raised in Delhi, and finishing high school from Springdales School (Pusa Road), New Delhi,[10] Atishi graduated in history from St. Stephen's College, Delhi in 2001. Soon after, she went to the Oxford University and in 2003 she completed her master's degree in History on a Chevening scholarship.[11] In 2005 she went to Magdalen College, Oxford as a Rhodes scholar.[4][12]

Atishi spent some time teaching at Rishi Valley School in Andhra Pradesh. She has also worked with the non-profit organisation Sambhavana Institute of Public Policy.[13]

Political career

Although always interested in public policy, Atishi observed the 2011 Indian Anti-corruption movement as a sceptical outsider, believing that single-issue campaigns were ineffective. In January 2013, she became involved in policy formulation for the AAP, which has its roots in that movement.[4]

She was closely involved with the Jal Satyagraha in Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh 2015 and provided vital support to the AAP leader and activist spearheading the campaign Alok Agarwal during the historic protests, as well as during the legal battle that ensued.[14] After the 2020 elections, she was made the AAP's in-charge for its Goa unit.[15]

2019 Lok Sabha Elections

Atishi was appointed as the Lok Sabha in-charge for East Delhi for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.[16] She contested from the East Delhi parliamentary constituency as an AAP party candidate for the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections. She lost to BJP's candidate Gautam Gambhir by a margin of 4.77 lakh votes, coming in third.

2020 Delhi Legislative Assembly election

She is currently an elected MLA from Kalkaji constituency of South Delhi. She defeated Dharambir Singh, a Bharatiya Janata Party candidate, by 11,422 votes in the 2020 Delhi Legislative Assembly election.[17]

Governance

Atishi was also spearheading the flagship Mohalla Sabha Project for the Government of NCT of Delhi. The effort to decentralise governance to empower every citizen was a major promise of the AAP before coming to power.[18] The project was rejected by the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi in 2016.

References

  1. "AAP's Atishi has a surname again – and it's not 'Marlena'". Theprint.in.
  2. "Atishi Marlena, Delhi's 'education reformer', is AAP Lok Sabha candidate from East Delhi". Financial Times. 28 August 2018.
  3. https://suvidha.eci.gov.in/uploads1/acaffidavit/E8/2020/AC/U05/51/U05_1271_39_202001210815201579617920.pdf
  4. "The Aam Aadmi of AAP: 5 personal stories of sacrifice, triumph and validation". The Economic Times. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  5. "Home Ministry sacks 9 advisors to AAP Govt".
  6. "AAP leader Atishi drops her second name Marlena, denies caste angle". Hindustan Times. 29 August 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  7. "BJP, Congress, beware! Atishi Marlena is a Rajputani, warns Manish Sisodia". Business Standard. Press Trust of India. 28 April 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  8. "Atishi drops her name Marlena". Hindustan Times. 28 August 2018.
  9. Banerjee, Akash. "Six lessons in 'affordable politics': AAP victory shows how elections can be fought on a shoestring". Scroll.In. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  10. "Meet the young leaders hoping to infuse vitality into our democracy". Hindustan Times. 20 June 2015.
  11. "AAP's Atishi Marlena drops second name after being announced as party's 1st candidate for 2019 Lok Sabha polls". Times Now. 28 August 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  12. "Rhodes Scholars: complete list, 1903-2015". The Rhodes Trust. Archived from the original on 6 November 2013. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  13. "Meet Atishi Marlena, the education crusader who won for AAP in the Delhi elections".
  14. "Meet the young leaders hoping to infuse vitality into our democracy". 20 June 2015. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  15. "AAP's Raghav Chadha Set To Be Appointed Vice Chairman of Delhi Jal Board, Atishi Gets New Role Too". NDTV.com. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  16. "Amidst speculation of alliance with Congress, AAP appoints Lok Sabha in-charges for five Delhi seats". dna. 2 June 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  17. "AAP candidates Manish Sisodia and Atishi won from Patparganj and Kalkaji Assembly constituencies after trailing in early trends".
  18. "Giving people's money back to them to spend on their own". Governance Now. 6 May 2016. Retrieved 14 December 2016.


State Legislative Assembly
Preceded by
Avtar Singh
Member of the Delhi Legislative Assembly
from Kalkaji (Vidhan Sabha constituency)

2020
Incumbent
Aam Aadmi Party political offices
New political party Member of Political Affairs Committee of AAP
? – present
Incumbent
New political party Member of National Executive Committee of AAP
? – present
Incumbent
Preceded by
?
State Convener of AAP, Goa
2020 –
Incumbent
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