FEATURED The ‘Jung’ Between Modi and Kejriwal and the Travails of a Quasi State BY RAJSHREE CHANDRA ON 06/08/2016 • 5 COMMENTS

The high court’s reasoning in its recent ruling on the division of powers between the elected Delhi government and the appointed lieutenant disregards certain norms and conventions of constitutional morality. File photo of Delhi lieutenant general Najeeb Jung swearing in as chief minister of Delhi. Credit: Reuters

It is important to understand the constitutional reasoning behind the Delhi high court’s August 4, 2016 order which states that the National Capital Territory is a (UT) and that the lieutenant governor is its administrative head. It is equally important to understand that the court’s reasoning disregards certain norms and conventions of constitutional morality and that there may be some merit in the government’s appeal to the Supreme Court.

Delhi has a peculiar federal architecture. It is more than a UT – unlike what the high court ruled – but less than a full state. Article 239 of the Indian constitution is the provision that governs UTs: it states, “every union territory shall be administered by the president acting… through an administrator to be appointed by him…” Delhi however is not a UT. The 69th amendment (1991) changed the federal status of Delhi from a UT to a National Capital Territory. Article 239AA of the Indian constitution provides for an elected government with legislative and co- extensive executive powers.

But Delhi is also a lesser state in comparison to other states. Article 239AA (http://lawmin.nic.in/olwing/coi/coi- english/Const.Pock%202Pg.Rom8Fsss(12).pdf) was added by the amendment to include “special provisions” with respect to Delhi. As per Article 239AA(3)(a), three key jurisdictions of the state list – public order, police and land – are not within the purview of the Delhi government. Unlike other states, Delhi is not a “full state” because it does not have jurisdiction over these three areas.

Except these three areas, the language used in Article 239AA (4), that pertains to Delhi, reads identical to Article 163 (1), that pertains to states. This means that the Delhi government’s powers and jurisdictions were intended to be more or less analogous to that of a state government, barring public order, police and land. In both cases, the constitution says that there shall be a council of ministers, with the chief minister as its head, to aid and advise the governor/LG in the discharge of his or her functions. The “aid and advice” clause may sound optional but in parliamentary parlance it is a pretty unambiguous provision that makes the decision of the chief minister binding, as was interpreted by the Supreme Court in the Shamsher Singh (https://indiankanoon.org/doc/1382698/) (1974) case.

Federalism or dyarchy

How do we then assess the high court ruling over “services” which declares a series of moves made by the Delhi government illegal – such as commissions of inquiry into the CNG fitness scam, illegalities by the Delhi and District Cricket Association, policy directions to the electricity regulatory commission for compensation to people for disruption in power supply – since they were made without the approval or views of the LG?

A straightforward reading of 239AA(4) leaves little doubt that matters relating to appointments of bureaucrats is a prerogative of the state government and must be done on the “aid and advice” of the chief minister. However, in reality the structural architecture of Delhi is such that it forestalls a straightforward reading. Entry 41 of the state list (p. 273) pertains to ‘state public services; State Public Service Commission (SPSC)’. This means that if Delhi were to have its SPSC, it would have complete jurisdiction over its appointments. Delhi however does not have its own SPSC and draws on the Union’s UT services cadre. This means that transfers, appointments and availability of bureaucrats could well be asserted as a matter of the Union’s jurisdiction.

The May 2015 notification by the Ministry of Home Affairs is one such “assertion”. It is a blatant reminder of who the boss is in a quasi state like Delhi. The MHA notification states that along with law and order, land and police, “services” also are outside of the jurisdiction of Delhi state. It says that the IAS and IPS positions come under Centre’s control and that the LG, not the CM, has the power to make appointments, and that LG’s authority is final in appointments of bureaucrats.

There are two ways to see this move by the Union government. One would be to ask a simple rule-book question: Can the central government do such a thing? Can it pull rank in this mess of federal anomalies and drafting ambiguities? The high court seems to think it can. Many constitutional experts would concur, many would opine otherwise.

A principle often followed in matters of constitutional logjams is “intentionality”, where the intention of provision makers and drafters assumes importance to resolve a impasse. The questions to ask would be: Did the 69th amendment bill, that aimed to change the status of Delhi from a UT to a quasi state, intend to keep the Services out of the purview of the state government? If indeed it did, why were the Services not listed along with land, law and order and police? Are Services being excluded by what is implied by the nomenclature of entry 41 of the state list?

Court verdicts should be based on an analysis of the structures the law constituted and how they are apparently intended to function as a coherent, harmonious system. As a Latin legal maxim states: ‘no one can properly understand a part until he has read the whole’. A reading of the whole, so to speak, will need to revert to questions of intention behind the 69th amendment and the drafting of 239AA(4). An equally important “constitutional” question to ask would be, should the Union government be asserting authority to appoint bureaucrats against observed conventions of a federal structure which forms the basic structure of the our constitution?

A defining feature of a federal democracy is division of power. It is this principle that makes the exercise of power a remit of the elected head and not the nominal heads (president, governors/LGs). Nominal heads have varying degrees of discretionary power (more in quasi states, less in full states), but those are to be exercised with restraint and with an understanding of how the wheels of legislative democracy turn. What is right, therefore, cannot be a matter of what the rule is when the rules are two pronged. The “aid and advice” provision is fairly unambiguous and is meant give the CM the powers of appointment. But because Delhi relies on the Centre for Services, jurisdictions end up being overlapping and conflictual. The contest really is not between legality and illegality – both positions appear to be legally tenable – but between the spirit of parliamentary federalism and a model of dyarchy that has been in disrepute since 1919.

Rajshree Chandra teaches political science at and is the author of The Cunning of Rights: Law, Life, Biocultures (OUP, 2016)

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S.N.Iyer • a month ago The whole purpose of an elected Govt by the citizens of Delhi is vitiated by the actions of the Lt Governor who acts o n the bidding of the MHA ie Modi and his Govt. Is this the revenge that Modi is taking for almost wiping out of the BJP in the Delhi elections. If the AAP Govt wishes to bring changes to help Delhites and Modi opposes it, can thy all go on strike, ie bandh and create chaos. BUt as law and order is with the Centre , no one can do anything about it. The Court is the only resort to implement the Constitution with its amendment.After what this Govt did in Uttarakand and Arunachal and what the BJP is not doing in J&K,during the recent flareup, it is clear that Modi may be a ""friend"" when he decides that it is worthwhile or else they will be ENEMIES!! 1 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Mayur Panghaal • a month ago modi is not trying to destroy aap....he is fighting to stay alive.And I mean it. 1 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Mit K • a month ago Elected govt of Delhi wants to dictate terms to the elected govt of the country - The tail wants to wag the dog. Delhi govt is a dignified form of a big city corporation, even less than that. Because Delhi is a union territory, not a state. Kejriwal has been trying to pass order in scant regard for following rules or even a civilized behavior. Delhi high court has already given the decision. But Kejri is not convinced. He is using City tax payers money to blow his trumpet all over the country and abuse Modi by resorting to ads on TV. He came to power on the plank abuse Modi by resorting to ads on TV. He came to power on the plank of clean govt, but a good number of his MLAs and ministers are tainted. He has openly supported a corrupt politician like Laloo in Bihar. Elsewhere he is busy in doing caste and religious grouping to win election. He has disappointed the whole country who saw a hope of new brand of politics in AAP movement. △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Anjan Basu • a month ago Very timely intervention in the raging Delhi-vs- Centre controversy, and a very balanced one, too. It strongly makes the case for a far more nuanced approach to the underlying issues than we are witnessing presently. Hope the Supreme Court helps provide a somewhat more mature perspective in the matter. The sound and fury surrounding the debate presently only obscures such a perspective. △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

KSV • a month ago Delhi is a Union territory. There is NOTHING called quasi-state in Indian union. Per schedule 1, New Delhi is Union territory. This means that the union of has supreme authority. Additionally, New Delhi has 239AA which is an "insertion" after 239A. 239A deals with administering UT and 239AA adds additional stipulations for New Delhi citing it as a National capital territory. That it has a legislative assembly does not mean "elected to rule". That way, municipal councils can claim the same right to rule over their municipalities and ignore assembly rules. Assembly in New Delhi has certain powers vested in the 239AA. They need to follow rules to exercise those powers. They cannot say ' we will not follow the rules , but we will want the power'.

The Lt Governor as the delegate of the president represents the union. If readers here care to note, the union is elected too, and by far more people than those in New Delhi. So New Delhi as a capital, affects all Indian interests and as a city for 25 million people needs an institution to take care of its citizenry. So the assembly head (the CM) and Lt Gov work in partnership to ensure national interests and Delhi citizenry's needs are met in a harmonized manner. Since events or laws passed in New Delhi can affect other aspects on center, the laws need constant review.

Lt Gov is the channel for such scrutiny. Laws passed by assembly with no LG sign is null and void since by nature such laws have not passed the fundamental alignment test: "Are laws passed by assembly repugnant to any central provisions?" The assembly has no competence to conduct such scrutiny. Can they validate the myriad