With the Aam Aadmi Party announcing Atishi as the new chief minister of Delhi, the Union territory has become the first in India to have three female chief ministers. At 43, Atishi is also the youngest chief minister of Delhi.
Born and brought up in Delhi, Atishi’s political association started as an adviser to former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in the education ministry. Since then, she never looked back and became education minister and handled maximum portfolios before being a successor to Arvind Kejriwal. A History graduate from Delhi’s St Stephen’s College, Atishi is also a Chevening and Rhodes Scholar. She pursued her master’s on a Chevening scholarship at Oxford University. She also earned her second master’s in Educational research from Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar in 2003 and 2005, respectively. Her parents, Vijay Singh and Tripta Wahi, were both professors at Delhi University.
Before Atishi, Delhi had BJP’s Sushma Swaraj and Sheila Dikshit of Congress as its chief ministers. With more than 15 years in the office, Dikshit was the longest-serving CM of Delhi.
Besides Delhi, Bihar, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu are other states to be governed by female chief ministers. With Atishi joining the bandwagon, it has strengthened women’s position in India’s political arena where it is considered to be a ‘men’s game’.
Despite all odds, India has seen many women leaving men behind in the race to lead the country from former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to present-day President Droupadi Murmu.
With a female population of around 662.9 million and registering a 65.78% turnout in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, women beat men in 19 of 36 states and UTs. However, gender equality and women’s political evolution in India paint a gloomy picture.
Women as head of state globally
On the global stage, women in leadership have been a rare sight. New Zealand, Italy, Germany, the UK, and neighboring countries like Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh also witnessed women holding the state head positions in the past. However, this data is not very encouraging. Despite concerted multi-prolonged efforts in recent times to promote women’s empowerment and improve gender equality, only 30 women were serving as elected heads of state and government in 28 countries (out of a total of 193 UN member states).
Succession planning lessons from Atishi’ elevation
The elevation of Atishi as the new chief minister of Delhi has sent a message to the people leaders that can be implemented while planning leadership succession planning. The new chief minister of Delhi is known for connecting with parents and children studying in Delhi government schools to understand their needs. Listening to people’s needs is important and Atishi did well on this front. Hence, HR leaders should prioritise fostering connections with the community to understand their needs.
Another lesson that is learned from Atishi’s elevation is the importance of mentorship in the workplace. Leadership needs to entrust middle management with greater responsibilities which was done in the case of Atishi by Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia. Emerging leaders should be supported through mentorship and empowered with the necessary responsibilities and support.
Making your presence felt in a male-dominated political landscape is not an easy job. She must have challenges including gender bias and gender stereotypes. Her success highlights the importance of having training on emotional resilience, especially for women and minority groups facing systemic biases.
Clear vision, collaboration, and teamwork, leading by example are other important learnings from Atishi’s rise to the role of Chief Minister. It underscores that leadership is not just about authority but about competence, connection to the people, and the courage to innovate.