Nearly a year after leaving the Chief Minister’s residence, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Chief Arvind Kejriwal has been given an official bungalow in Delhi. This decision follows proceedings in the Delhi High Court, where Kejriwal requested suitable housing as the national president of a recognised political party.
Kejriwal has been assigned a Type VII bungalow at 95, Lodhi Estate, which he will now occupy. Previously, AAP had asked the central government to give him the bungalow at 35, Lodhi Estate, which was used by Mayawati, but that residence was already assigned in July to Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary.
On Monday, the government informed about the allocation of the house. Sources said that AAP leader visited the new house on Monday to inspect it.
Type-VII bungalows typically include four bedrooms, large lawns, a garage, and three servant quarters and space for office. Approximately 5,000 square feet in size, Kejriwal’s new house has two side lawn and office.
Kejriwal will now have Congress’s Shashi Tharoor as his neighbour, who has bungalow 97 to him. Bungalows 94 and 96 are allocated to Army officials. RJD’s Misa Bharati and Congress’s Priyanka Gandhi don’t live far, they have been allocated bungalows 82 and 81 respectively.
Kejriwal has been without a permanent government residence since resigning as Delhi Chief Minister on Septemer 17, 2024. After leaving his official residence at 6, Flagstaff Road, on November 4, he temporarily stayed at the home of AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab, Ashok Mittal, at 5, Ferozeshah Road.
The central government had previously told the Delhi High Court that Kejriwal would receive official accommodation within ten days, as is customary for presidents of national parties.
Meanwhile, the Delhi government plans to turn Kejriwal’s old official residence at 6, Flagstaff Road, which underwent renovation during his time as Chief Minister and later faced corruption allegations, into a state guest house with a cafeteria.
The new allocation at Lodhi Estate resolves nearly a year of uncertainty regarding Kejriwal’s official accommodation after he stepped down as Delhi Chief Minister.