Vikrant Shekhawat : Sep 17, 2024, 07:40 PM
Delhi New CM Atishi: A new trend is flowing in Delhi politics. Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal has appointed Atishi as the new Chief Minister of Delhi, who comes from the Punjabi Rajput community. With this appointment, Atishi is the first member to reach the post of Chief Minister of Delhi. But, do you know which castes have dominated Delhi politics so far? Let's know the caste of all 8 Chief Ministers of Delhi and the story of their coming to power.Atishi's caste and entry into politicsAtishi was born in a Punjabi Rajput family. Her parents were supporters of leftist ideology, so Atishi did not give importance to the caste system in early life. She added the surname "Marlena" to her name, which reflected the alliance of Karl Marx and Lenin. However, after entering politics, Atishi removed her surname and became an MLA from Kalkaji Assembly in 2020. She is also a member of the Political Affairs Committee, the top policy body of the Aam Aadmi Party.Caste dominance in DelhiChaudhary Brahm Prakash (1952-1955)Caste: Ahir (Yadav)Story: Congress won the first Delhi Assembly elections and made Chaudhary Brahm Prakash the Chief Minister. He was a native of Rewari in Haryana and had migrated to Delhi.Gurumukh Nihal Singh (1955-1956)Caste: SikhStory: Gurumukh Nihal Singh was made the Chief Minister of Delhi after Brahm Prakash. He was the last Chief Minister of Delhi until Delhi was declared a Union Territory.Madan Lal Khurana (1993-1996)Caste: Punjabi KhatriStory: After Delhi was declared a Union Territory in 1993, the BJP made Madan Lal Khurana the Chief Minister. He was the first Chief Minister of Delhi and later became active in central politics.Sahib Singh Verma (1996-1998)Caste: JatStory: After the Hawala scandal, Sahib Singh Verma took over as Chief Minister. He was the Chief Minister of Delhi for about 2 years and later became the Labor Minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government.Sushma Swaraj (1998)Caste: Punjabi BrahminStory: BJP appointed Sushma Swaraj as the Chief Minister of Delhi in place of Sahib Singh Verma. She comes from the Punjabi Brahmin community and was the Chief Minister for only 58 days.Sheila Dixit (1998-2013)Caste: Brahmin from Uttar PradeshStory: Congress appointed Sheila Dixit as the Chief Minister of Delhi. She has been the Chief Minister of Delhi for the longest time (15 years) and her husband was the Congress stalwart Uma Shankar Dixit.Arvind Kejriwal (2013-2024)Caste: VaishyaStory: In 2013, Arvind Kejriwal ended the reign of Sheila Dikshit and became the Chief Minister of Delhi. He has been the Chief Minister for three consecutive terms and comes from the Vaishya community. He is also the convener of the Aam Aadmi Party.ConclusionDifferent castes have had an influence in Delhi politics and now Atishi is going to give a new dimension to this tradition. Coming from the Punjabi Rajput community, Atishi's coming to the post of Chief Minister is not only her personal achievement but also a symbol of Delhi's political diversity. The influence of castes in Delhi politics and their changing picture shows in which direction the new stream of caste diversity and leadership in politics is going.