Delhi Lokayukta: What’s CM Arvind Kejriwal worried about?

The Lokayukta for the national capital territory is a toothless institution. Its powers don’t stretch beyond recommending action against individuals and bodies. If the authorities concerned refuse to enforce its recommendations, it can do little about it. Why then the Aam Aadmi Party, which made fight against corruption its calling card and won a brute popular mandate on this singular plank, would go slow on appointing the right person to head the institution, a position lying vacant since November 2013? In the latest in the Lokayukta controversy, Lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung has asked the Delhi government to accord utmost priority to the matter and send a list of candidates to his office. Earlier, the Delhi High Court had raised questions over the vacancy, which under statutory provisions should be filled up within six months. Under the Delhi Lokayukta and Upalokayukta Act the government recommends names to the LG’s secretariat after consultation with the leader of the opposition in the state assembly and the chief justice of Delhi High Court. The final appointment takes place after approval from the President’s office. [caption id=“attachment_2417942” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File photo of Arvind Kejriwal. Naresh Sharma/Firstpost[/caption] The AAP government, on its part, had informed the court in the last week of July that it was serious about the appointment of the anti-corruption ombudsman and had ‘begun the in the process’ to this effect. But no serious effort appears to have followed after this submission. In a decision which opposition parties called ‘unilateral’, it sought to push the case of AP Shah, former chief justice of the Delhi High Court. But it fell through as the justice himself declined the offer. BJP’s Vijender Gupta, who is also the leader of the opposition in the 70-member house, slammed the government for bypassing him while proposing the name of Shah. Now coming back to the original question: why is the government reluctant? Curiously, its leader Arvind Kejriwal had resigned as chief minister after a 49-day stint in power after he was not allowed to introduce the Delhi Jan Lokpal Bill by the Congress and the BJP members. If the primary issue is corruption then it surely has gone off the radar or there is something that the government is worried about if there’s Lokayukta in place. In the prevailing climate of political hostility in Delhi – there’s a big role of the AAP in creating and sustaining it through a shoot allegations and scoot strategy – the party may come under sharper scrutiny once a Lokayukta not perceived favourable to it takes charge. The AAP over the last few months has transitioned from being a party with strong anti-corruption credentials to a routine political entity with all accompanying vices. Several of its members are under police scrutiny already and as many as 21 of its 67 legislators could be in trouble for one lapse or the other, according to sources in rival parties. The party is acutely aware of that. In fact, senior party leaders such as Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav had raised the issue of unethical compromises the party had made in the last assembly election and were shown the door. With the BJP breathing down its neck and the Congress not exactly willing to play political ball, the party fears it could face serious loss of face if more skeletons tumble out of its cupboard. The Lokayukta may be toothless but his actions could provide enough ammunition to the opposition to target the government. Worse, it would find it difficult to hold on to its loyal bunch of ideologically-driven followers – yes, there are still many who believe the party’s main aim is to fight corruption – for too long. There are doubts in their mind already, and they would waste no time in switching support to more credible alternatives if and when they come up. But with the court advising urgency, the party cannot dilly-dally for long. It has to take a call, and brace for difficult times.