NEW DELHI: Since the 2020 assembly polls, when Aam Aadmi Party trampled upon the opposition with a massive mandate to govern Delhi for the second consecutive term by winning 62 of the 70 seats, a lot of water has flown under Loha Pul. The image of the ruling party, which was formed on the anti-corruption plank, has since taken a severe beating and it struggles with charges of bribery and financial irregularities. AAP 's top leadership, including supremo Arvind Kejriwal and his lieutenant Manish Sisodia, spent lengthy periods in jail, directly impacting the city's governance which led to an erosion in civic amenities.
On the other side, the BJP-led central govt wrested control of services - matters of bureaucracy, including posting and transfer of officials - by enacting a new law and appointed a lieutenant governor in May 2022 who has refused to remain a constitutional head or a mere rubber stamp for the state govt. He has been proactive in actual governance, regularly conducting meetings not only with officials of agencies that fall under his direct jurisdiction but also with the heads of the departments controlled by the elected dispensation. This has led to unending wrangling and trading of barbs between LG VK Saxena and AAP govt.
After a 49-day stint in govt with the outside support of Congress in 2013-14 followed by a year-long President's rule in Delhi, AAP created a record by winning 67 of the 70 assembly seats in 2015. The 'Delhi model' of governance largely centred o.
