Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung resigns

FLASH: Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung submits his resignation to the Government of India.

— ANI (@ANI_news) December 22, 2016

Jung has tendered his resignation 18 months before the end of his tenure. Najeeb Jung will go back to the world of academics, his first love, a statement from the Lt Governor's office read, reported ANI.

"Lt Governor Shri Najeeb Jung has submitted his resignation to the Government of India. He thanks the Hon'ble Prime Minister for all the help and cooperation he received during his tenure as the Lt. Governor of Delhi," read a press release issued by Jung's office, India Today reported.

"Shri Jung also thanks the people of Delhi for all their support and affection, especially during the one year's President Rule in Delhi, when he got unstinted support from them and which in turn helped run the administration in Delhi smoothly and effortlessly. He also thanks the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Delhi for his association in the last two years," the statement added.

Jung issued a brief statement, and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for all the help and cooperation he had received from him during his tenure, while also expressing his gratitude to the people of Delhi for the support.

He also thanked Chief Minister Kejriwal, despite having been involved in relentless dispute with him over administrative jurisdiction, during his association with him in the last two years.

"Mr Jung's resignation is a surprise to me, my best wishes in all his future endeavors," Kejriwal took to Twitter, expressing his surprise at the Lt Governor's resignation.

Sh Jung's resignation is a surprise to me. My best wishes in all his future endeavours.

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) December 22, 2016

"He resigned since he had personal reasons. He said he has worked for 45 years, now he wants to spend time with family and his grandchildren," Jung's adviser Ajai Chaudhari told NDTV.