Has the Bhagwant Mann-led government in Punjab allotted a government bungalow to AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal in Chandigarh?
The BJP Friday claimed that the ruling AAP in Punjab has allotted a “seven-star” bungalow to Kejriwal in Chandigarh, and termed it ‘Sheesh Mahal 2.0’. The BJP had earlier referred to the 6, Flagstaff Road, Civil Lines bungalow, which was allotted to Kejriwal in 2015 during his tenure as Delhi CM, as “Sheesh Mahal”. It had pointed to “extravagant luxuries” on the premises.
The AAP, on the other hand, rejected the claim saying that a “panicked BJP” is sharing random pictures of the Punjab Chief Minister’s camp office and spreading “baseless lies”.
“Chandigarh’s administration is under the BJP. No one else can construct or approve anything there without their sanction. If the BJP’s claim is true, where is the allotment letter? Where is the official order,” asked AAP in a statement.
The building under scanner is bungalow number 50 in Chandigarh’s tony Sector 2.
Sharing a Google map image of the house on party’s X account, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva alleged, “After the Sheesh Mahal in Delhi was vacated, Punjab’s Super CM Arvind Kejriwal has built a Sheesh Mahal in Punjab, even more magnificent than Delhi’s. Kejriwal has received a luxurious 7-star government bungalow of 2 acres from the CM’s quota in Sector 2, Chandigarh.”
“Under what quota has the Punjab government allotted him such a huge house in Chandigarh? This obsession with bungalows — these Sheesh Mahals — is questionable. Kejriwal should explain under what capacity he has taken this house. Or is he, after allegedly looting Delhi, now preparing to loot Punjab?”
Rebel AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP, Swati Maliwal sought to puncture the AAP’s claim of the house being Punjab CM’s camp office. “If this is a camp office, then in the last four years, how many people came here to meet the CM? How many times did the CM sit in this office? If this is a camp office, then how does Kejriwal live in this office? The truth is that Punjab’s super CM resides in this house”.
She further alleged that Kejriwal on Thursday “boarded a government helicopter from in front of his house for Ambala. Then, from Ambala, a private jet of the Punjab government took him to Gujarat for party work. The entire Punjab government is busy serving one man”.
BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla alleged that even AAP leaders, who had lost elections in Delhi, have been “placed” in various boards and commissions in Punjab. “People of Delhi removed Kejriwal from his ‘Sheesh Mahal’ in New Delhi but the Sheesh Mahal mindset has not gone. And a Sheesh Mahal 2.0 is being done in Punjab through the taxpayers’ money, under the Punjab CM’s quota because Kejriwal is the super CM of Punjab,” Poonawalla said.
He said that AAP has no money to fulfil it’s promise of Rs 1,1000 monthly dole made to the women of Punjab but can provide a 100-car convoy for Kejriwal’s VVIP security.
The AAP dismissed the allegations. “Ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s fake Yamuna narrative was exposed, the BJP has lost its composure. In desperation, it has now resorted to forging everything — fake Yamuna, fake pollution data, fake rainfall claims, and now a fake ‘7-star house’ claim. The BJP’s latest lie, that a 7-star bungalow has been built for Kejriwal in Chandigarh, collapses under its own absurdity,” the party said in a statement.
Bungalow number 50
The bungalow, being used by Kejriwal, was in 2022 allolted to AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha after the party came to power in Punjab. However, sources said that the bungalow was lying unused since Chadha’s focus shifted.
Sources said the bungalow was cleaned and “touched up” for Kejriwal, who was earlier staying in Vikas Bhawan Guest House in Mohali, whenever he visited the state. Lately, he shifted to Chandigarh, in the VIP house. It is learnt that he has been holding meetings of officials in the house. CM Bhagwant Mann, sources added, is often seen visiting the bungalow to meet Kejriwal and take part in the meetings. Mann stays in bungalow number 44, which is just a few meters away from 50. The CM has his camp office in bungalow number 43, which is also allotted to the CM in CM’s pool.
The bungalow was once occupied by former Advocate General Atul Nanda, who was a close aide of former CM Amarinder Singh. After Amarinder’s ouster, Congress leader and then Deputy CM Sukhjinder Randhawa was allotted the bungalow.
Sector 39 story
AAP’s Punjab in-charge Manish Sisodia stays in government bungalow number 960 in Sector 39 and former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain stays in house number 926 in the same sector in Chandigarh.
Bungalow number 960 was first allotted to Punjab Cabinet Minister Dr Ravjot Singh. However, he was soon asked to pass it on to Sisodia, sources said. House number 926 was initially allotted to Sunny Ahluwalia, chairman of Punjab water supply and sewerage board.
Anurag Kundu, who was former commissioner of child rights in Delhi, was appointed member of Punjab Development Commission in 2023. He stays in house number 919 in Sector 39 in Chandigarh.
Kamal Bansal, another AAP leader from Delhi, who was appointed chairman of Mukh Mantri Teerath Yatra Scheme, has been staying in house number 905 in Sector 39 in Chandigarh. Similarly, Reena Gupta, another Delhi AAP leader was appointed chairperson of Punjab Pollution Control Board has been staying in a Bungalow in Patiala, where PPCB is headquartered, sources said.
The guesthouse members
Jasmine Shah, former chairperson of DDC, Delhi, is also in Punjab overseeing department of industry and governance reforms. Sources said that he keeps coming to Punjab and stays in Punjab Bhawan, the government’s guest house in Chandigarh. Anurag Dhanda, AAP’s national media in-charge, who oversees the department of Public Relations, also stays in Punjab Bhawan.
Shaleen Mitra, who was the project manager of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission and had also remained on the staff of Jain in Delhi, was appointed OSD to Punjab Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh in June this year. He has been staying in Punjab Bhawan and is a key person in Punjab’s government’s anti-drug drive.
with inputs from ENS Delhi