AAP picks Atishi for Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly

Former Chief Minister Atishi has been appointed Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, becoming the first woman to hold the position. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs unanimously chose her for the role during the party’s legislative meeting on Sunday. 

Her elevation comes at a critical time for AAP, which suffered a major electoral defeat, securing only 22 of 70 seats in the Delhi Assembly elections. The BJP swept to power with 48 seats, unseating AAP from its decade-long rule.

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, who attended the meeting along with the party’s 22 MLAs, congratulated Atishi on her new role. "I congratulate Atishi ji for being elected as Leader of AAP in the House. AAP will play the role of constructive opposition in the interest of people of Delhi," he tweeted.

Atishi’s appointment as AAP’s key face in the Assembly comes in the backdrop of major leadership setbacks for the party. Top leaders, including Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, and Saurabh Bharadwaj, lost their seats in the recent polls, leaving AAP in search of a strong voice to take on Delhi’s new BJP government.

A two-time MLA from Kalkaji, Atishi retained her seat after a tough battle against former BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri. She had already established herself as a prominent leader, particularly during Kejriwal’s five-month incarceration in the Delhi liquor policy case, when she became the public face of the party, taking on both BJP and Congress.

Atishi's name was proposed as a strong female leader to take on Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta in the House. The first session of the newly-elected Delhi Assembly begins on February 24.