Delhi is heading for a crisis like situation with Delhi Minister and senior AAP leader Atishi hinting on Friday about the possibility of imposition of President’s rule. However, the BJP has rubbished Atishi’s claim pointing out that after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest in the money-laundering case and internal developments in the party, the AAP is nervous.
Delhi BJP said the AAP is scared of losing majority in Delhi following some MLAs leaving the party and said it was therefore alleging that President’s rule may be imposed.
Atishi claimed that in recent times, several events have taken place that indicate the possibility of the imposition of President’s rule in Delhi. “In the last few months, no senior IAS officer has been posted in Delhi. Posts are lying vacant in departments but no postings have taken place. Bureaucrats have stopped attending meetings called by Ministers, citing the Model Code of Conduct. The Lieutenant Governor has been writing letters to the MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs) over the functioning of the Delhi Government,” she said.
After Delhi Social Welfare Department Minister Raaj Kumar Anand’s resignation, there is no clarity on how about a half a dozen -odd departments he was handling would function as Kejriwal is in Tihar jail and he has not made it clear whether he would either like to induct a new Minister to replace Anand or would allocate his portfolios to any Minister.
Atishi said the BJP already knows that it cannot come to power in Delhi. “The AAP defeated the BJP in the Delhi Assembly elections in 2015 and 2020. That is why they want to topple the Delhi Government. However, the imposition of President’s rule would be illegal since the Delhi Government enjoys a majority. We proved our majority through a floor test on February 17 this year,” she said.
AAP has 62 MLAs in the 70-member Delhi Assembly.
After the Enforcement Directorate objected to Kejriwal issuing instructions while in custody, questions are being raised: To whom Anand’s portfolio will be reassigned now.
The Chief Minister himself can look after Anand’s departments. So far Kejriwal has not kept any department under his direct command. A big question arises if Kejriwal tells Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Vinai Kumar Saxena not to accept Anand’s resignation, in such a situation it will be a difficult situation for the LG to take a call on the contentious matter.
However, there is a view from some experts that the LG being the head of the Government can take a call on the matter
There is a strong view in the bureaucratic circle that a mechanism needs to be put in place by the LG whereby orders issued by the Chief Minister from Tihar are routed through him to the concerned Ministers.
The bureaucratic circle however, is unsure how Cabinet meetings can be held by the Chief Minister with his Ministers from Tihar.
“There are issues related to confidentiality of certain notes as anything which goes or comes out of the prison will have to be scanned,” a senior official said.
“Let’s see how such issues will be sorted out in the near future if Kejriwal continues to function as the CM from Tihar,” said the sources. The LG has already sent two reports regarding governance to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
