New Delhi:
The merger of four properties to expand the grounds of “Sheesh Mahal” — the Delhi Chief Minister’s official residence at 6, Flagstaff Road – could be cancelled by Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena following a request by the BJP. The building, originally intended as a Type 5 bungalow, has been converted into a Type 8, reserved only for senior cabinet ministers, the BJP has contended.
The conversion of the bungalow, a Rs 33.6 crore makeover, had converted into a palace fitted with jacuzzi and gold-plated toilets suitable for the uber rich. In the hands of the BJP, it turned into a potent political weapon that helped end the 10-year rule of Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said the bungalow was expanded by merging four government properties and he has written to the Lt Governor for cancelling the amalgamation.
Mr Kejriwal had transformed the bungalow into “an ultra-luxurious ‘Sheesh Mahal’ by “illegally annexing” neighbouring government properties, Mr Gupta had written to the LG. “The scope of these unauthorized alterations is particularly concerning. What was meant to be a standard official residence has been transformed into a lavish complex spanning more than 50,000 square meters,” his letter read.
The BJP has already declared that the new Chief Minister would not live in the bungalow and it is likely to be turned into a museum.
The new government will take a final call regarding future use of the bungalow.
The reconstructed bungalow was the official residence of Arvind Kejriwal as Delhi Chief Minister from 2015 to October 2024 when he vacated it after resigning from the top post.
