Arvind Kejriwal’s move to ignore constitutional norms may well come back to haunt him. The Delhi CM appointed 21 MLAs as parliamentary secretaries, a move that has been set aside by the Delhi High Court. This was done on the ground that these appointments were made without the concurrence of the Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung. AAP had bypassed the LG and this has backfired.
What has also backfired was Kejriwal’s plans to institute one man inquiry commissions into various scams and issues in Delhi, this too without the LG’s go ahead. The Courts have struck these down too. The decision probably adds credence to the fact that the Delhi CM is “a glorified Mayor or a half-CM” and the administrative decisions need the LG to sign off.
So where does Kejriwal go from here? The court has ruled that it is mandatory for any decision taken by the council of ministers to be conveyed to the LG. AAP need to follow the book on constitutional procedures. They will also need to keep their fingers crossed, because the 21 MLAs appointed to the posts of parliamentary secretaries, could be disqualified for violating the office of profit law. Their fate is now in the hands of the Election Commission.
