After months of legal back-and-forth and political noise for a roof over his head, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has been allotted a Type-VII bungalow at 95, Lodhi Estate in the national capital.

The Centre approved the accommodation following a Delhi High Court order that pulled up the Union government for delaying a decision on the matter.

AAP on Monday confirmed that Kejriwal, who resigned as Delhi CM on September 17, 2024, after his arrest in connection with the Delhi liquor scam, will stay at the newly allotted government residence.

“Kejriwal has been allotted an official bungalow by the Centre after it was scolded by the Delhi High Court. He was entitled to a bungalow since he is the convener of a national party,” AAP national media in-charge Anurag Dhanda told PTI.

The Delhi HC, which was hearing a petition filed by AAP seeking suitable accommodation for Kejriwal, had criticised the Union housing and urban affairs ministry (MoHUA) for, what it called, an evasive and non-transparent approach in handling the allotment.

On September 16, the court remarked that the housing process “cannot function like a free-for-all system” and directed the Centre to justify how it prioritised allocations among political leaders.

Before his resignation, Kejriwal lived at 6, Flagstaff Road in Civil Lines, the house that became the centre of a fierce political battle between the AAP and BJP.

The BJP had turned the renovation of the Flagstaff Road residence into a full-blown election issue, branding it “Sheesh Mahal” and accused the then chief minister of spending public funds to support the extravaganza.

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) audit pegged the cost of the renovation at Rs 33.66 crore, nearly 342 per cent higher than the original tendered amount.

Kejriwal used to live in this bungalow located at 6 Flagstaff Road in Civil Lines.(file picture)

In response, Kejriwal hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying: “The talk of Sheesh Mahal does not behove a person who has built a Rs 2,700-crore house for himself, travels in a Rs 8,400-crore airplane and wears a Rs 10-lakh suit.”

The BJP’s use of the term “Sheesh Mahal” carried a deliberate historical sting.

As The Telegraph Online had earlier reported, the Sheesh Mahal in Lahore Fort, commissioned by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, was a royal retreat for the emperor and his queens.

A view of the Type-VII bungalow allotted to Kejriwal now, in Lodhi Estate (PTI)

The BJP’s reference was not only a charge of extravagance but also a political jab meant to evoke Mughal-era imagery, which critics saw as a subtle dog whistle.

The new Lodhi Estate address

Located in the heart of Lutyens’ Delhi, 95, Lodhi Estate is part of the government’s list of high-grade Type-VII bungalows reserved for senior ministers, MPs, and judges. The property, roughly 5,000 square feet, includes four bedrooms, two side lawns, an office space, a garage, and quarters for three staff members.

The new house in Lodhi Estate (PTI)

Kejriwal’s new neighbours will include Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who occupies bungalow number 97. Bungalows 94 and 96 are home to senior Army officials, while RJD’s Misa Bharti and Congress’s Priyanka Gandhi Vadra live close by at 82 and 81.

The AAP leader reportedly visited the Lodhi Estate house on Monday to inspect the premises.

Initially, AAP had requested the bungalow at 35, Lodhi Estate, formerly occupied by BSP chief Mayawati but in July it was allotted to Union junior minister for finance Pankaj Chaudhary. The court later directed the Centre to provide Kejriwal with an alternative property of equivalent grade.

A view of the Type-VII bungalow (PTI)

After stepping down as chief minister, Kejriwal temporarily stayed at the government bungalow allotted to AAP Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal on 5, Ferozeshah Road.

Nearly a year later, the new Lodhi Estate bungalow marks his first permanent official residence since leaving office.

The Delhi government plans to repurpose Kejriwal’s former Civil Lines residence as a guest house with a cafeteria.