Delhi CM won’t live in Arvind Kejriwal’s ‘Sheesh mahal’; BJP seeks restoration of bungalow to original status

Newly elected BJP MLA Vijender Gupta on Monday requested Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena to cancel the merger of four properties with AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal's "Sheesh Mahal" (6, Flagstaff Road).

According to PTI, Vijender Gupta said that the bungalow was expanded by merging four government properties. He said he wrote to Lt Governor VK Saxena to cancel the amalgamation of those properties.

The reconstructed bungalow was the official residence of Arvind Kejriwal as the Delhi chief minister — from 2015 till October 2024. He vacated it after resigning from the post in September last year.

BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, called the bungalow "Sheesh Mahal" to target Kejriwal over corruption issues during Delhi Assembly Elections 2025.

New Delhi CM won't live in this bungalow

Vijender Gupta, who was Leader of the Opposition in the seventh Delhi Assembly dissolved last week, said that the chief minister of the BJP will not live in the bungalow as it was under investigation over alleged irregularities.

What did Gupta say in his letter to Delhi L-G?

Gupta wrote to the LG, saying that Kejriwal transformed the bungalow into "an ultra-luxurious 'Sheesh Mahal' by "illegally annexing" neighbouring government properties.

"The scope of these unauthorised 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," he charged in the letter.

He said that the merged properties included eight Type-V flats at 45 and 47 Rajpur Road, and the two government bungalows (8-A and 8-B Flag Staff Road) with the 6, Flagstaff road bungalow.

"I urgently request your intervention to restore these properties to their original independent status and return 6-lag Staff Road to its previous area of less than 10,000 square meters," he said.

Gupta also requested the LG to expedite the ongoing investigation into these alleged violations, saying swift action is crucial for ensuring accountability and restoring public trust in government institutions.

The BJP, for more than two years, more so during the Assembly election campaign, hit hard at Kejriwal levelling allegations of corruption including irregularities in the reconstruction of the bungalow and lavish interiors, high-end domestic goods and fixtures there.

(With inputs from PTI)