NEW DELHI: Demanding full statehood for Delhi, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party on Sunday launched its signature campaign 'Delhi Maange Apna Haq', under which the party will seek signatures from 10 lakh residents.
In 1991, the Union Territory of Delhi got a full-fledged Assembly, after the passage of the 69th Amendment Act. The Act provides that the Lieutenant Governor will be the administrator of Delhi without any responsibility and accountability, while the elected government, which is responsible and accountable to the people, has no power. It is this Act and its provisions that have been at the heart of the dispute between the Delhi government and LG Anil Baijal.
Unlike other states, matters concerning law and order and land fall within the purview of the central government. And with the Centre controlled by the BJP, the Opposition party in the Delhi Assembly, AAP has been struggling to exercise its will in administrative matters.
Since coming to power in 2015, the AAP-led Delhi government and the BJP-led Centre, represented by the LG, have been involved in a tug of war.
This has taken a toll on development projects, affected day-to-day functioning of the government.
Erstwhile Congress Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had little problem in the administrative affairs of the Capital, as her party was in power at the Centre for a large part of her 15 year-tenure.
Her Congress-led government implemented many projects without hiccups and had complete power over transfers/postings of officers.
However, by the time AAP came to power, Baijal's successor Najeeb Jung had annulled all bureaucratic postings by the Delhi government and said the power of appointment and transfer rests with him.
Even the Delhi High Court, on August 4, 2016, had ruled that the LG is "the supreme authority of the Delhi administration and the Delhi government is left with no power to take any major decision."
With two years left in its term, AAP is now giving another push to the statehood demand. Even as political experts say it is not a burning issue among the residents, they agree that statehood for Delhi would give more powers to the elected government to make its work easier.