By Sanjeev Kumar Patro
Bhubaneswar: Time clocked full circle for Arvind Kejriwal. The RTI activist made a dashing entry on to the Indian political screen space as ‘Change the politics’ icon. But his exit from the Chief Minister ship of Delhi suggests noting revolutionary.
Arvind Kejriwal's defiant stand of not resigning from Chief Ministership till the Supreme Court order of Justice Sanjeev Khanna and Dipankar Datta that sealed his fate, as he was restrained from attending CM’s office and signing any file, the resignation at the last moment pops up the narrative of a ‘Changed by politics’ man.
KEJRIWAL’S ‘VOTE HONESTY’ NARRATIVE
Before resigning, the former Delhi CM addressed a large gathering and vowed to the people of Delhi to return to the CM seat, only after voters of Delhi re elect his party to power.
As per political observers, Arvind Kejriwal’s this ‘vote honesty’ narrative was to garner personal sympathy from the Delhi voters.
This political strategy was deployed by Arvind Kejriwal during 2024 Lok Sabha polls, when he addressed every rally exhorting people to vote AAP by saying, “Your vote will determine my return/non-retrun to jail.”
But the political plan of Arvind Kejriwal to invoke personal sympathy bombed, as AAP lost all six seats to BJP.
Now, by resigning from the CM ship, and showcasing it as sacrificing his chair to the orchestration of BJP, Arvind Kejriwal has played the same gamble for the second time. More significant here has been ‘early poll to Delhi Assembly’ demand of Kejriwal.
Because, as Kejriwal is working out on the political plan of invoking personal sympathy, time-factor has a crucial say in determining the success or say failure of the narrative in politics.
In this context, former British PM Margaret Thatcher’s reflection “There are no personal sympathy in politics” sounds relevant.
WHY ATISHI MARLENA MADE CM?
It seems hands are tied for Kejriwal. In the AAP hierarchy, Manish Sisodia has been number 2 to Arvind. But when top faces of the party have been embroiled in the alleged liquor scam, Kejriwal chose Atishi Marlena, his lone women member in the party’s PAC (Political Affairs Committee). Moreover, she has been entrusted with as many as 6 important ministries – Women and Child Development, PWD, Education, Power, Tourism, Art and Culture.
Atishi clout in AAP and Kejriwal’s trust on her gets amplified by the following:
- Appointed adviser to Manish Sisodia (Education Minister, Delhi)
- Only women to be appointed to PAC – the key planning body of the party.
In the Kejriwal scheme of things, Atishi Marlena fits the bill.
WHO IS ATISHI MARLENA?
Sporting a Master in Science from Oxford University in year 2006, she declared in her election affidavit of pursuing a profession of social worker. The MLA of Kalkaji South, has a total asset of over Rs 1.4 cr. In the same affidavit, she declared here annual income as Rs 5 lakhs, and attributed her source of income to interest from Savings Account and FDs.
BIO: Date of Birth – June 8, 1981. Father’s name: Prof Vijay Singh, Mother’s Name: Prof Tripta Singh. Husband’s name: Praveen Singh, Husband’s Profession: Social Worker. Husband’s Income: Rs 3.7 lakhs Income Source: Income from savings account /FD. Children: Election affidavit shows nil dependants.
MAR-LENA CONTROVERSY
As per Atishi Mar-Lena, her surname is Singh. But her parents conferred the title of Mar-Lena by combining the letters of Marx and Lenin.
IDEOLOGY: The Mar-Lena name suggests her ideology to be of Leftists.
