The new BJP-led government in Delhi has started withdrawing several legal cases filed during the AAP government’s tenure against the Lieutenant Governor (LG) and the Centre, sources confirmed on Wednesday. This move aims to reduce tensions between the Delhi administration and the LG’s office, which frequently clashed under AAP rule.
Many of these legal disputes involved governance issues such as the appointment of the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) chairman, funding for the Delhi Jal Board, legal representation in Delhi riots cases, teacher training programs abroad, and a high-level committee on Yamuna pollution.
During AAP’s rule, Chief Ministers Arvind Kejriwal and later Atishi often had conflicts with successive Lieutenant Governors—Najeeb Jung, Anil Baijal, and VK Saxena—accusing them of blocking policies. The LGs, in response, alleged that the AAP government was uncooperative. Many of these disputes led to legal battles.
The power struggle between AAP and the LG’s office was seen as a key factor in AAP’s major defeat in the recent Delhi Assembly elections. The party’s seat count fell to 22 in the 70-member Assembly, while the BJP won 48 seats, returning to power in Delhi after more than 25 years. The new government is now led by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.
One major disagreement was over the appointment of the DERC chairman. AAP feared that allowing central control over the body could threaten its power subsidy scheme. Similarly, in 2020, then-LG Anil Baijal was accused of interfering in the selection of public prosecutors for the Northeast Delhi riot cases. At the time, AAP MP Sanjay Singh said, “The LG and Central government are insisting on the appointment of a panel of special public prosecutors chosen by the Centre. This is happening at a time when there are very serious allegations over the response of the Delhi Police to these riots as well as how the investigation is going on.”
Another legal dispute arose when the AAP government proposed sending Delhi teachers to Finland for training. The LG’s office imposed conditions on the proposal, leading the Kejriwal government to take the matter to court. Senior advocate AM Singhvi, representing the Delhi government, told the Supreme Court in 2023, “LG is deciding which teachers to send, how to send and when to send. This is concerning the teachers’ training programme.” The LG’s counsel argued that the AAP government had not provided an impact assessment of previous foreign training programs.
Government sources said the decision to withdraw these cases is aimed at resolving conflicts between the Delhi administration, the LG’s office, and the Centre. “Governance will get priority,” a source said, emphasizing that the new administration is focusing on smoother operations rather than prolonged legal disputes
