Now, to governance: Delhi's new govt has opportunity to deliver seamlessly

The unprecedented splendour of the swearing-in ceremony for the Delhi government’s office-bearers reflects the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) jubilation over taking power after 27 years. But the sweeping victory with 48 of the 70 Assembly seats, coming after the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP’s) 10-year rule, reflects the enormous expectations the electorate have from Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, the fourth woman to hold this post in Delhi, and her Cabinet. As a member of the same party ruling at the Centre, Ms Gupta is expected to be free from disruptive acrimony between the elected government and the Centre’s representative, the lieutenant governor (LG), the legacy of Delhi’s status as a Union Territory with its own Legislative Assembly.  A 2023 central law had immeasurably strengthened the LG’s discretionary powers. This new-found political consonance between the Centre and state party is, therefore, expected to deliver a quantum leap in governance standards.

  The received wisdom is that Delhi’s administrators must address two sets of constituents: The middle class and the poor. The AAP’s rise to power was driven chiefly by welfare schemes, its signature achievements being the establishment of affordable, quality state school education, and access to inexpensive medical facilities via a chain of “mohalla clinics”. The provision of free water and electricity, also targeted at the poor, benefited the middle class as well. In adopting this approach and mostly delivering on it in its early years, the AAP could leverage  Delhi’s consistent fiscal surpluses. But spending on welfare schemes and rising revenue expenditures have increasingly burdened the finances, even as the revenue surge anticipated from a new policy on liquor licensing and excise was stymied by corruption charges against then chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and senior AAP ministers. Additional demands from the power, transport, health and law departments point to a possible deficit in the 2024-25 Budget. With investment in social infrastructure stalling and urban pollution reaching catastrophic levels, public disenchantment with the AAP had mounted. The BJP on its part powered its way to victory chiefly with promises of freebies, health care, jobs, and infrastructure.  Ms Gupta has already declared her government’s decision to make good on at least one signature campaign promise of providing Rs 2,500 in monthly financial assistance to women — trumping the AAP’s offer of Rs 2,100 a month — with the first instalment due on March 8, which is International Women’s Day. How her government plans to raise the resources for this payout is unclear.

  Beyond the optics, Delhi’s voters seek sober and meaningful governance without the political fireworks of the recent past. For instance, the city’s women may welcome a monthly stipend but they would appreciate public safety even more. The state government has a unique chance to collaborate with the Delhi Police, which comes under the Union home ministry, to make appreciable progress here. Similarly, now that all three state governments comprising the National Capital Region (Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh) are run by the same party, Delhi has a rare opportunity to improve water supply and tackle river pollution, over which Haryana and Delhi have been at loggerheads. Air pollution, which has impacted the reputation of the city globally, is another issue that has the potential to be solved, given the political unity of associated state governments. In short, for Delhi’s new government, the political excuses for governance failures have narrowed and its challenge to deliver has risen exponentially.