Who shall administer the National Capital Territory of Delhi? The Indian Supreme Court affirms a principle of collaboration between the federal and the “local” government for the city management

he Indian Supreme Court has put an end to the long-running political battle over who should have more power to administer Delhi, between the central government, in the person of the Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, and the Delhi’s local one, represented by Arvind Kejriwal as the Chief of the Coucil of Ministers. Since the local Aam Aadmi Party has won the elections, it has struggled to govern, especially because of the 2016 Delhi High Court’s judgment according to which the “Lieutenant Governor is boss of administration in Delhi”. In its final decision, the five-judge constitutional bench affirms a principle of collaboration between the two levels of government. As written in the conclusion of the Court, the Lieutenant Governor and the Chief of the Council of Ministers are a “team” or a “pair on a bicycle” that share collective responsibility for the city management.