Will BJP project L-G VK Saxena as CM face in Delhi 2025?

The Squirrels' Founder-editor Bhupendra Chaubey posed this question to senior journalist Ashutosh who agreed that Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has been at the forefront of the antagonism of the union government for the city-state's government run by the Aam Aadmi Party. However, Ashutosh doubted whether Saxena would plunge headlong into electoral politics.

The question arose because recently, several pro-BJP influencers on X began comparing 10 years of rule by ex-Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal with the last two years when the L-G took charge of governance in Delhi after nearly the entire top leadership of the AAP was jailed for the alleged liquor scam.

AAP govt and L-G office squabbling since a time before Saxena

The ongoing conflicts between the Lieutenant Governor and the AAP government have severely hindered Delhi's development over the past eight years. This situation has persisted through the tenures of three different Lieutenant Governors and numerous court rulings that have failed to resolve the disputes. The discord began with former Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, continued under Anil Baijal, and is currently ongoing with Saxena.

Central to the conflict are disagreements over the distribution of powers within the National Capital Territory of Delhi. The AAP government asserts that Delhi occupies a unique status, neither fully a Union Territory nor a State, possessing a legislature and a Council of Ministers with limited authority. This perspective has resulted in various disputes, including the election processes for the mayor and deputy mayor of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, city demolition initiatives, the alleged refusal to support the AAP government's proposal for teacher training in Finland, and the non-payment of salaries to staff at mohalla clinics.

A particularly contentious issue has been the implementation of the Delhi excise policy. The AAP government has accused the Lieutenant Governor of interfering in the daily operations of the Delhi government and issuing directives to the chief secretary on numerous matters, effectively circumventing the government.

Conversely, the Lieutenant Governor has called for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into alleged irregularities in the development of the excise policy, which resulted in the arrest of former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and a summons for Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

In March of this year, Lieutenant Governor Saxena filed a complaint with the Delhi High Court, claiming that the AAP government intentionally misled the court and tarnished his office's reputation by presenting manipulated and inaccurate information regarding non-conforming areas related to the now-repealed Delhi excise policy for 2021-22.

AAP attacked L-G too

AAP has accused the Lieutenant Governor of postponing the execution of various initiatives. Among these is the 'Red Light On Gaadi Off' programme, designed to reduce vehicular pollution, as well as the extension of power subsidies for consumers. In 2022, the L-G's office also limited the responsibilities of Jasmine Shah, the former vice-chairperson of a Delhi government think tank, due to allegations of misusing his position for political gain.

L-G denied involvement in scheme approvals. The correspondence between Delhi's Lieutenant Governor and then-Chief Minister Kejriwal escalated in February 2024, with the L-G asserting that he had no involvement in the approval of schemes related to water, finance, and urban development, which fall under the jurisdiction of the Delhi government. In reply, Kejriwal emphasised that he had previously discussed the one-time settlement scheme for outstanding water bills with the L-G, asserting that the L-G wields significant authority over officials through control of services and vigilance.