New Delhi: Retired diplomat Taranjit Singh Sandhu was on Thursday appointed the new lieutenant governor of Delhi. Vinai Kumar Saxena, who was serving as the Delhi LG since May 2022, has been shifted to Ladakh.Sandhu, who served as India’s Ambassador to the United States from Feb 2020 to Jan 2024, maintained close, active, and frequent engagements with the Congressional India Caucus-the largest country-specific caucus in the US House of Representatives. He was also the high commissioner to Sri Lanka.Sandhu contested Lok Sabha elections on a BJP ticket in Amritsar in 2024 but lost.Saxena’s tenure was marked by frequent high-pitched confrontations with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) govt over myriad issues ranging from day-to-day governance to policy decisions, including the controversial excise policy. In July 2022, Saxena recommended a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in the excise policy’s framing and implementation, which led to the then chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and some senior AAP functionaries going to jail.Saxena has been shifted days after Arvind Kejriwal and other accused have been discharged in the excise case by a Delhi court.The appointment of Sandhu comes at a time when relations between BJP-led Delhi govt and the LG office have normalised. Officials attribute the normalcy to Delhi and the Centre, which appoints the LG, being run by the same party.The Delhi govt’s relationship with the LG has been marked by sustained tussle since 2015 when AAP came to power in Delhi.Saxena was appointed the Delhi LG in 2022, replacing IAS officer Anil Baijal. Saxena was the only LG of Delhi who was not drawn from retired bureaucrats.Saxena was also behind the Delhi Development Authority’s green push and was key to the development of several parks and green spaces along the Yamuna, such as Asita park and Baansera.During Saxena’s tenure, several major policy matters led to sharp exchanges between Raj Niwas and AAP govt, including the management of 2023 Delhi floods. A major flashpoint was the control of services in Delhi, particularly the power to appoint and transfer bureaucrats. They also clashed over the functioning of Municipal Corporation of Delhi, mayoral elections, the redevelopment of govt schools and hospitals, and the handling of civic and environmental issues. These disputes frequently played out through official correspondence and even public statements.Saxena also sought inquiries into alleged cost escalations in the construction of classrooms at Delhi govt schools, alleged irregularities in the functioning and finances of Delhi Jal Board, buses procurement, “fake” diagnostic tests at Mohalla Clinics, “financial irregularities” in Jai Bhim Pratibha Vikas Yojna, among several others.“Sandhu’s appointment is set to bring a new phase in Delhi’s administrative leadership. He is known for his diplomatic experience and long career in international affairs and is likely to use his experience in shaping Delhi’s administration alongside the elected govt,” said a retired Delhi govt official.
