BJP-Led Delhi Government Moves To Withdraw Legal Cases Against Lieutenant Governor: Report

The new BJP-led government in Delhi has begun the withdrawal of multiple legal cases involving disputes between the Lieutenant Governor (LG) and the state government, NDTV reported citing sources.

This move is being seen as a step towards ending long-standing conflicts between the Centre’s representative and the city’s government.

Among the cases being withdrawn are those related to the appointment of the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) chairman, funding for the Delhi Jal Board, appointment of lawyers in Delhi riots cases, teacher training in foreign countries and the high-level committee on Yamuna pollution.

During erstwhile AAP-led government’s tenure, successive Lieutenant Governors—including Najeeb Jung, Anil Baijal, and VK Saxena—were frequently at odds with the Delhi government over various matters, many of which ended up in courts.

Under the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal and later Aatishi, the AAP government accused the LG of hampering the implementation of its policies.

On the other hand, The LG accused the AAP of not cooperating with him.

The tussle with the LG is seen as one of the factors that led to the AAP's rout in last month's Delhi elections.

The party managed to secure only 22 seats in the 70-member Assembly, while the BJP clinched 48, marking its return to power in the capital after over 25 years.

The new BJP government is now headed by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.

One of the major points of contention between AAP and the LG was the appointment of the DERC chairman.

AAP reportedly feared that allowing the Centre to oversee the regulatory body might jeopardise its popular power subsidy scheme.

Back in 2020, AAP had accused then-LG Anil Baijal of meddling in the selection of public prosecutors for cases related to the Northeast-Delhi riots.

Another flashpoint between the AAP government and the LG was the proposed teacher training programme in Finland, with the dispute escalating to the Supreme Court.

Withdrawing these cases is part of a broader effort to resolve the confrontation between the dispensation in Delhi and the LG Office as well as the central government, according to the sources cited in the NDTV report.

"Governance will get priority," a source was quoted as saying by NDTV.

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