“Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal might have settled last time with a modest duplex flat, but things seem to have changed after his party won assembly election with a clear majority”
Kejriwal: Often bitten, now shy
Kejriwal should consider this — was Gandhiji ever judged by the houses he lived in? Gandhiji lived in all kinds of houses, from simple ashrams to the plush Birla House in New Delhi, where he was assassinated!
Arvind Kejriwal considers Mahatma as his inspiration. He won the election by promising a simple and accountable government. In his eagerness to distinguish his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) from others, Kejriwal has been trying hard to demonstrate severe austerity.
It cost a lot to keep him poor
In his first innings, he came to Ram Leela Maidan to take oath as chief minister by a Metro. A separate Metro was arranged for him and his oath taking ceremony cost the government more than Rs 80 Lakh. If he had taken oath at Raj Niwas, the expenses to government would have been less than Rs 5 lakh.
Fascination for palatial accommodation
During the 49-days government, Kejriwal and his ministers made a huge fuss around not accepting official bungalows and instead made it point to shift to modest Delhi Development Authority (DDA) flats. But, that seems to be history now. AAP government was allotted seven bungalows as per protocol but showing displeasure on type of residence, Kejriwal encroached upon central pool accommodation.
Kejriwal refused to move into the official CM residence, a four-bedroom bungalow at 33, Shamnath Marg. The bungalow reportedly is considered as a jinx for over a decade. Two former chief ministers — Chaudhary Brahma Prakash and Madan Lal Khurana were unable to complete a full tenure and another CM had died after falling seriously ill.
Kejriwal might have spoken aloud about putting an end to VIP culture but this time around he even demanded a better accommodation than what is officially prescribed. He demanded a type-7 accommodation instead of type-6 meant for Delhi ministers and had requested union ministry of urban development for the up gradation.
Eventually Kejriwal got a Type-7 bungalow — 6, Flagstaff Road, Delhi, which has sprawling lawn and an office space that can accommodate up to 40 people. Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister, Manish Sisodia occupied a bungalow that once used to be the official residence of former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.
In order to project an image of being pro-poor, Kejriwal tried hard to depict a poor image of government. But now by accepting all the luxuries, he seems to have retracted from his own earlier stand and principles.