This Article is From May 22, 2015

Centre Debating a Clarification Backing Lieutenant Governor in Feud with Arvind Kejriwal

Centre Debating a Clarification Backing Lieutenant Governor in Feud with Arvind Kejriwal

File picture of Delhi's Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung (left) and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. (Associated Press)

New Delhi: In an attempt to force an ending to the feud between Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, the Centre is considering issuing a notification that clearly demarcates the powers of their offices.

The notification is expected to strongly endorse the stand taken by the Lieutenant Governor that he has the final say in deciding the appointments of key bureaucrats, which has been furiously contested by Chief Minister Kejriwal.

The notification is expected to state that the Lieutenant Governor is "not bound to consult the council of ministers (on this) but may consult if he/she so desires," said sources.

The notification comes after several rounds of discussions between Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday.

The Centre's clarification, if it takes this form, will effectively back the Lieutenant Governor on virtually all the points of his dispute with the Chief Minister.

Reacting sharply to the reports, Mr Kejriwal's deputy Manish Sisodia tweeted: "If such an order comes, it is clear that PM Modi and Rajnath Singh have bowed before the transfer posting industry. We need to see whether the Constitution wins or a few corrupt officers and politicians."

Mr Kejriwal wrote to PM Modi on Wednesday, alleging that his party, the BJP, is trying to govern Delhi through the Lieutenant Governor, who acts as the Centre's representative in the capital and is vested with significant powers because Delhi is a Union Territory and not a full state.

Mr Kejriwal and the Lieutenant Governor have traded angry charges in a series of letters ever since an IAS officer -- who had been described by the Chief Minister as a "lobbyist for power companies" -- was picked by Mr Jung as acting Chief Secretary or the senior-most bureaucrat in the Delhi government.

Since then, Mr Kejriwal has retaliated by filling key posts with his preferred candidates; the Lieutenant Governor has declared those appointments void.
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