Arvind Kejriwal met Lt Governor Najeeb Jung today after the latter's unexpected resignation (PTI photo)
Highlights
- Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal met Najeeb Jung today
- The Delhi Lietenant Governor quit yesterday, 18 months short of tenure
- Khatta Meetha (bittersweet), said Mr Kejriwal on relation with Mr Jung
Najeeb Jung, after his abrupt resignation as Delhi's Lieutenant Governor, invited his biggest critic, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, for breakfast this morning.
"He told me that he is resigning due to personal reasons," Mr Kejriwal said after the 40-minute meeting. Asked whether Mr Jung's exit would simplify the road ahead for his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, the Chief Minister said: "It depends on who comes next."
Last night, admitting surprise at the announcement, Mr Kejriwal was conciliatory: "
Khatta meetha toh chalta rehta hai zindagi mein (ups and downs are a part of life)."
Mr Jung, 66, resigned yesterday with 18 months left in his tenure, saying he wants to return to his "first love, academics".
Anil Baijal, who was home secretary in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led BJP government, tops the list of contenders for the post.
Amid speculation on what impelled Mr Jung to quit, his adviser Ajai Chaudhari said he was shocked too. "He said he has worked for 45 years, now he wants to spend time with family and his grandchildren," Mr Chaudhari told NDTV.
An undated letter surfaced last evening in which Mr Jung had written to Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi that he would be on a week's private visit to Goa from Sunday. The letter, news agency Press Trust of India reported, also said the Delhi Chief Secretary will keep in touch with Mr Jung "about important developments".
Mr Jung's three years in office were marked by his acrimonious relationship with the Kejriwal government. The Centre and Mr Jung said because Delhi is not a state, the Lieutenant Governor has special powers. AAP called Mr Jung a stooge of the BJP-led central government.
From friction over appointments, the feud escalated after Mr Jung recently reviewed the decisions of the Kejriwal government and nixed many schemes following a High Court ruling that the Lieutenant Governor is the administrative head of Delhi.
Earlier this month, AAP was heartened when the Supreme Court observed that "an elected government should have some power to run, otherwise the government cannot function."