The Supreme Court on Friday allowed the BJP-led Delhi government to withdraw seven petitions filed by the erstwhile AAP government against the lieutenant governor (LG) and the Union government, an anticipated move after the ouster of the AAP regime.

A bench of Chief Justice BR Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih passed the order after Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Delhi government, told the court that the administration no longer wished to pursue the cases and had filed applications to that effect.

Advertisement

The withdrawn cases include challenges by the earlier AAP government to a range of executive decisions and legislative provisions.

These included pleas asserting that the LG is constitutionally bound to act on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers of the Delhi government, challenge to the process for appointing the Chairperson of the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) and challenge to the GNCTD (Amendment) Act, 2023, which established the National Capital Civil Services Authority for transfer and posting of Group-A officers in Delhi.

Besides, other cases filed by the erstwhile AAP government that stood withdrawn today included challenge to the Ministry of Home Affairs and LG orders relating to the release of payments to government-appointed lawyers, and to the procedure for appointing advocates-on-record and legal representatives in the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court .

The withdrawn cases also included a challenge to a National Green Tribunal (NGT) order, which had appointed the LG as the head of a high-level committee on Yamuna River rejuvenation. The top court had earlier stayed this order in July 2023 and the alleged non-release of sanctioned funds for the Delhi Jal Board for the financial years 2023–2025 by the GNCTD Finance Department.

Bhati told the Court that these petitions, initiated during the previous government’s tenure, were no longer aligned with the current administration’s governance approach and policy priorities.

The withdrawal of these high-profile constitutional and administrative challenges marks a realignment of Centre–Delhi relations under the BJP-led city administration.