Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal resigns citing personal reasons, say reports

Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal resigned from his position on Wednesday, citing personal reasons, an unidentified senior official told PTI.

He has submitted his resignation to President Ram Nath Kovind, The Indian Express reported.

On December 31, 2016, Baijal was appointed as the 21st lieutenant governor of Delhi. This came after his predecessor Najeeb Jung resigned 18 months before his term ended.

Baijal’s tenure saw him being involved in a tussle with the ruling Aam Aadmi Party government.

In 2018, a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court unanimously held that the Delhi lieutenant governor is bound by the “aid and advice” of the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government, except in matters related to public order, police and land. The court said that the AAP and Baijal, who is the Centre’s representative to the national capital, have to work harmoniously with each other.

The AAP alleged that the lieutenant governor has been taking many executive decisions without consulting the Kejriwal government.

The face-off escalated in 2018 when Kejriwal and his three of his Cabinet of ministers held a nine-day long sit-in-protest at Baijal’s office alleging that Delhi’s Indian Administrative Services officers were not cooperating with elected representatives after then Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash was allegedly assaulted.

Baijal, a 1969-batch Indian Administrative Service officer, has also served in Delhi as a former vice chairperson of the Delhi Development Authority. He was appointed the union home secretary in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.

He has also served as the chief executive officer of Prasar Bharati, additional secretary in the ministry of information and broadcasting, joint secretary in the ministry of civil aviation and development, and had been commissioner of Goa, among other roles, in his career.