The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Najeeb Jung has submitted his resignation to the Government of India, a year and half before the end of his tenure.
The former IAS officer from the Madhya Pradesh cadre and former Vice Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia gave no reason for his sudden decision to step down. However, in a brief statement, Jung’s office said the move has been triggered by his wish to return to academics.
But Ajay Chaudhary, OSD to Jung, said that the L-G’s decision is for personal reasons and he has resigned because he wanted to spend time with his family.
Media reports say retired IAS officer Anil Baijal is in line to replace Jung. Baijal has previously served under the Vajpayee government.
Jung became the Lt Governor on 9 July 2013 when a Congress-led coalition was in office. The Modi government retained him even as it replaced most governors.
The L-G, during the last couple years of his tenure, has been caught in a political tussle between the Centre and the Delhi government. What began as a turf war turned into an often-nasty confrontation between Jung and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal over who is the boss in Delhi, which does not enjoy parity with other states.
Last week, the Supreme Court remarked about the ongoing power struggle between the L-G and Delhi government, saying: “The Delhi government should have some powers, otherwise it cannot function.” The SC will hear the matter on 18 January in detail.
Reacting to the news of Jung’s resignation, Kejriwal tweeted:
(With agency inputs )
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