Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung. Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung.

In a surprise move, Najeeb Jung on Thursday resigned as the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi. He submitted his resignation to the government of India. According to Raj Bhawan, Jung would be returning to his first love, which is, academics.

In a brief statement, Jung thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for all the help and cooperation he received during his tenure. He also thanked the people of Delhi for all their support and affection, especially during the one year’s President Rule in Delhi, when he got unstinted support from them and which in turn helped run the administration in Delhi smoothly and effortlessly.

He was also thankful to Chief Minister Kejriwal, with whom he always had dispute over administrative jurisdiction, for his association in the last two years.

Sh Jung’s resignation is a surprise to me. My best wishes in all his future endeavours. — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) December 22, 2016

The AAP also questioned whether the power tussle between the Centre and Delhi government will continue even after the appointment of a new LG. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said, despite the “sweet bitter” experience, the AAP government and Jung did a good job in Delhi.

“Good wishes to Najeeb Jung for his future endeavour. God should give some good sense to them who controlled him. Will the war continue even after Jung’s (exit)?” Delhi minister Kapil Mishra said.

A former IAS officer from the Madhya Pradesh cadre and a former Vice Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi, Jung gave no reason for his sudden decision to step down. He was appointed as the 20th Lieutenant Governor of the National Capital Territory of Delhi in July 2013.

After Jung’s resignation, the Ministry of Home Affairs held a discussion whether to give him additional charges or appoint a new one.

The tenure of Jung as the Lieutenant Governor saw Delhi’s complex administrative structure stretched to the limit with unprecedented rancour marking his relationship with the elected Aam Aadmi Party government.

The Arvind Kejriwal dispensation, having won a brute majority in the February 2015 election, repeatedly accused Jung of “stalling” governance and acting at the BJP government’s behest and as the “agent” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah.

But, Jung steadfastly maintained that he was merely following the constitutional provisions in letter and spirit and asserted at one point that “in respect to the NCT (national capital territory) of Delhi, the government means the Lieutenant Governor of the NCT of Delhi”.

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