Arvind Kejriwal Scores Sprawling Government Bungalow
New Delhi : The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has secured the allotment of a Type 7 bungalow at 95 Lodhi Estate to its national convenor and former Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal. The bungalow was previously allotted to Iqbal Singh Laalpura, the BJP leader and former chairperson of the National Minority Commission, who had unsuccessfully contested elections from Punjab. The former Chief Minister and his family vacated the 6 Flagstaff Marg residence in Civil Lines in October 2024.
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal, the current allottee of 5 Ferozshah Road (Type VII), urged Kejriwal to shift temporarily while the party initiated legal proceedings demanding that the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) direct the Directorate of Estates to identify and allocate an official residence for the national convenor. AAP argued that as the head of a national party, Kejriwal was eligible for a Type 8 bungalow. After intervention by the Delhi High Court, central agencies eventually identified 95 Lodhi Estate for the purpose.
The allotment comes amid lingering memories of the ‘sheeshmahal’ controversy, when Kejriwal faced criticism over renovations at the official Chief Minister’s residence in Delhi.The official Chief Minister’s residence at Flagstaff Marg, popularly dubbed the ‘sheeshmahal’ due to alleged costly renovations, became a political flashpoint during the Delhi Assembly elections.
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