In a move signaling the end of the legal battles between the Lieutenant Governor, representing the Centre, and the Delhi government, the newly-formed BJP-led government in the capital has started withdrawing several court cases, sources revealed on Wednesday.

Some of the cases being withdrawn include those related to the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) chairman, funding for the Delhi Jal Board, appointments of lawyers for Delhi riot cases, teacher training in foreign countries, and the high-level committee addressing Yamuna pollution. Under the AAP government, there were frequent clashes between the Delhi government and the Lieutenant Governors—Najeeb Jung, Anil Baijal, and VK Saxena—on various issues, many of which ended up in court. The AAP, led by Arvind Kejriwal and later Aatishi, accused the Lieutenant Governor of deliberately obstructing its policies, while the LG’s office claimed the AAP was not cooperating.

The ongoing conflict with the LG was seen as one of the key reasons behind the AAP’s poor performance in last month’s Delhi elections. The party, which had previously secured a majority, was reduced to just 22 seats in the 70-member Assembly, with the BJP winning 48 seats and regaining power in Delhi after more than 25 years. The BJP government is now led by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.

One of the points of contention was the appointment of the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission chairman, with the AAP fearing that central control could end the popular power subsidy scheme. In 2020, the AAP accused then LG Anil Baijal of interfering in the appointment of public prosecutors for cases related to the Northeast Delhi riots, arguing that the central government’s choice of special prosecutors was politically motivated.

Additionally, the AAP had moved the court over the LG’s interference in its proposal to send teachers to Finland for training. Senior advocate AM Singhvi, representing the Delhi government, argued in the Supreme Court in 2023 that the LG was overly involved in decisions regarding which teachers to send, when, and how. The LG’s counsel countered that the Kejriwal government had failed to provide an impact assessment of previous foreign training programs.

Sources from the Delhi government confirmed that these cases, among others, would be withdrawn in an effort to resolve tensions between the Delhi government and the office of the LG, as well as the central government. “Governance will take precedence,” said a source.