New Delhi [India]: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will meet Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Thursday at around 4 pm, hours after Supreme Court’s verdict in a drawn-out tussle for power between his government and the Centre.
Kejriwal had sought time from the LG after Supreme Court ruled that the Delhi government has legislative powers over administrative services in the national capital. The Delhi CM had also called a meeting of his ministers today after the Supreme Court’s verdict.
In a huge win for the Delhi government, the Supreme Court today said that in a democratic form of government, the real power of administration must rest on the elected arm of the government.
A Constitution bench of the Supreme Court, in a unanimous verdict, said that the Delhi government must have control over services, and the Lieutenant Governor is bound by its decision.
The court said that the Delhi government similar to other States represents the representative form of government and any further expansion of the Union’s power will be contrary to the Constitutional scheme.
A five-judge Constitution bench of CJI Chandrachud and Justices MR Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and PS Narasimha pronounced the judgment on Thursday.
Supreme Court said in a democratic form of government, the real power of administration must rest with the elected government. If a democratically elected government is not given the power to control the officers, the principle of the triple chain of accountability will be redundant.
It said if the officers stop reporting to the ministers or do not abide by their directions, the principle of collective responsibility is affected.
The five-judge bench had reserved its judgment on January 18 this year.
Governance of the national capital has witnessed a power struggle between the Centre and the Delhi government since the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) came to power in 2014.
The case was posted before a Constitution bench after a three-judge bench had in May 2021 decided to send it to a larger bench on a request by the Central government.
