AAP vs Centre: Supreme Court bench set to rule on control of Delhi services

A two-judge bench of the Supreme Court was expected to deliver its ruling shortly on the Aam Aadmi Party government’s challenge to Central government orders that removed the Delhi administration’s control over the anti-corruption branch, civil servants and other matters. Justices AK Sikri and Ashok Bhushan had completed hearing arguments on nine petitions about the dispute roughly three months earlier.

The pending questions

About a month before, AAP government’s senior counsel Indira Jaising had pressed for an early verdict, and the judges assured her it would come “very soon”.

The bench was left to decide who controls services in the Delhi administration, meaning the power to appoint, post and transfer officers, as well as who controls the anti-corruption bureau and who can set up a commission of inquiry.

The earlier Constitution bench ruling

A Constitution bench of the court, which examined the relationship between the Centre and Delhi’s elected government, laid down the broad principles a year earlier. Its July ruling held that the Lieutenant Governor had no independent decision-making powers and that real authority rested with the elected government. Soon after, AAP’s attempt to regain control of the anti-corruption branch and of appointments was opposed by Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal.

Background

The AAP government and the BJP-led Centre have clashed over the sharing of power since Arvind Kejriwal returned as Chief Minister in 2015, when AAP won 67 of the 70 Assembly seats and left the BJP with three. Kejriwal has alleged that the Centre has been taking revenge by curbing his government’s powers and blocking its decisions.

What happened next

In the 2020 Delhi Assembly election, AAP won 62 seats to the BJP’s 8 and Arvind Kejriwal continued as Chief Minister.

See also: Aam Aadmi Party.

Originally published on 14 February 2019. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

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