BJP rejects Kejriwal’s ‘Sheesh Mahal,’ demands restoration of Government properties

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced that the new Chief Minister of Delhi will not reside at 6, Flagstaff Road, the bungalow previously occupied by Arvind Kejriwal. Dubbed “Sheesh Mahal” by BJP leaders, the property was a key issue in the party’s election campaign against AAP. Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva confirmed that the government will select a new residence after the swearing-in ceremony.

BJP MLA Vijender Gupta has written to Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, demanding the revocation of the merger of four government properties with the bungalow. Gupta alleged that Kejriwal expanded the property from 10,000 square meters to over 50,000 square meters by annexing adjacent government-owned buildings, including Type-V flats at 45 and 47 Rajpur Road and two bungalows at 8A and 8B Flagstaff Road. He called the expansion “illegal and unethical” and requested the restoration of the properties to their original status.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had initiated a preliminary inquiry in September based on a report by then-Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar, which flagged financial irregularities in the renovation of the CM’s residence. BJP leaders allege that Kejriwal spent public funds on high-end interiors and luxury fittings, while AAP has defended the renovation, citing structural issues in the 80-year-old building, including three incidents of roof collapse.

BJP leaders and officials from the Public Works Department (PWD) have been inspecting potential locations for the new CM’s residence, with properties at Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg under consideration. This area also houses the BJP headquarters. Meanwhile, the BJP has reiterated its demand for an expedited investigation into the alleged misuse of public funds for the bungalow’s reconstruction.

The BJP secured 48 of Delhi’s 70 Assembly seats in the 2025 elections, ending AAP’s 27-year rule in the capital. Following its victory, the party has intensified scrutiny on Kejriwal’s tenure, with “Sheesh Mahal” emerging as a focal point of the corruption allegations. The final decision on the fate of the bungalow remains pending as legal and administrative reviews continue.