The new BJP-led government in Delhi has started withdrawing multiple court cases, marking a step towards resolving legal disputes with the Lieutenant Governor, who represents the Centre, sources said on Wednesday. When the AAP was in power, its government often clashed with Delhi’s Lieutenant Governors—Najeeb Jung, Anil Baijal, and VK Saxena—over various issues. Many of these disputes ended up in court. The AAP, led by Arvind Kejriwal and later Aatishi, accused the LG of deliberately blocking its policies, while the LG claimed that AAP was not cooperating.
This ongoing conflict is believed to be one of the reasons for AAP’s major defeat in the recent Delhi elections. The party won only 22 out of 70 seats, while the BJP secured 48 seats and returned to power in the city after more than 25 years. The new BJP-led government is headed by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.
One major disagreement between AAP and the LG was over the appointment of the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission chairman. AAP feared that if the Centre controlled the commission, it might end the popular power subsidy scheme.
In 2020, AAP also accused then-LG Anil Baijal of interfering in the appointment of public prosecutors for cases related to the Northeast Delhi riots. The party claimed the Centre wanted to appoint its own prosecutors, despite serious concerns about the role of the Delhi Police in the riots and the fairness of the investigation.
Another dispute arose when the LG placed conditions on AAP’s plan to send teachers to Finland for training. AAP argued that the LG was unnecessarily interfering, while the LG’s office said the Kejriwal government had not provided an impact assessment of previous training programs.
Sources in the Delhi government now say that these and other court cases will be withdrawn to reduce tensions between the state government, the LG, and the Centre. “Governance will be the priority,” said a source.