The sudden resignation of Najeeb Jung as Lieutenant Governor of Delhi has understandably led to intense speculation on what could be behind this enigmatic move. Mr Jung has ascribed his resignation to the pressing need to spend more time with his family, but it is unlikely that this is the real and sole reason. One possibility is that Jung was tired of all the power tussle between him and the Aam Aadmi Party government in the State led by Arvind Kejriwal and that he decided to quit rather than continue fighting with AAP. It is no secret that in his battles with AAP he was being encouraged by the Centre which has had an acrimonious relationship with the party and its supremo. Having been an academic who had quit the coveted IAS to return to academics as Vice-Chancellor of Jamia Millia University, the rough and tumble of manipulative politics as a Lt. Governor who was constantly at war with the Delhi Chief Minister did not quite fit in with his personality. The clashes with AAP had become much too frequent and that must surely have taken a toll on him.
What has intrigued observers is that he chose to put in his papers at a time when there were still 18 months to go for his five-year term to end. One speculation doing the rounds is that his relations with the Centre had soured of late or that the Centre was looking to make peace with Kejriwal, using the removal of Jung as a first step to appease him. This, however, appears a trifle far-fetched. Another theory is that with the Supreme Court verdict on the relative powers between the Lt. Governor and the Delhi Chief Minister round the corner, Jung was apprehensive that his powers may be clipped and that this could amount to a loss of face for him. Yet another theory doing the rounds is that the Centre wanted to appoint him as Vice-Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University to deal with recalcitrant elements in that highly-politicised university. Whatever be the real motivation for the resignation, only time will tell whether he left of his own accord or was asked to go by the Centre. There is also speculation that he may be still in the good books of the BJP and that the party bosses may have decided to field him as vice-presidential nominee after Hamid Ansari retires next year.
Just as there is suspense over the real reason for Jung’s resignation, there is also a lot of kite-flying on who may be his successor. The Centre’s choice of Jung’s successor would perhaps give some indication of how the Centre wants to deal with Kejriwal who has been on the warpath against the Modi government right since he assumed charge. There could even be a possibility that the Centre may persuade Jung to continue in office for sometime more or even till the end of his term or that Jung may be inducted into the Central cabinet to woo the sizeable Muslim vote bank in UP.
