Arvind Kejriwal's Ex-Home, Dubbed 'Sheesh Mahal' By BJP, To Be A Guest House

Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's official residence at 6 Flagstaff Road in the national capital will soon be turned into a state guest house and a culture centre.According to Delhi government officials, they are planning to redevelop the bungalow - where Kejriwal and his family lived for almost a decade since 2015 - into a modern guest house equipped with contemporary amenities, including a parking space and a waiting hall. Like other state guest houses, the bungalow will be used to house travelling ministers, official delegations, distinguished guests, and senior government officials from India and abroad for a fee."The government is close to finalising a state guest house at bungalow no 6, which has been lying unoccupied as the former chief minister's residence," sources told news agency PTI.At present, around 10 staff members are deployed to maintain the bungalow, including daily sweeping and cleaning, as well as operating electrical appliances such as refrigerators and air conditioners.The controversy around Kejriwal's former residenceThe bungalow came under intense scrutiny during the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections after a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), tabled in the Assembly by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, found that the preliminary estimate for the residence's renovation was Rs 7.91 crore. This went up to 8.62 crore when work was awarded in 2020. But by the time the Public Works Department (PWD) completed the job in 2022, the cost had jumped to Rs 33.66 crore -  more than 340% higher than estimated, the report found.Of the total amount, Rs 18.88 crore was spent on "superior specifications, artistic, antique and ornamental" items, the report said.The renovation of the premises led to its built-up area increasing by more than a third from 1,397 square metres to 1,905 square metres.The bungalow was often dubbed as 'sheesh mahal' (a colloquial Hindi term for an opulent house) by the BJP to attack Kejriwal with allegations of corruption. During the 2025 election campaign, the party had displayed miniature replicas of the bungalow.The reconstructed bungalow had served as Kejriwal's official residence till October 2024. He vacated the premises after resigning as chief minister under intense political scrutiny from the BJP. The AAP chief then moved into the official bungalow of ex-party MP Ashok Mittal at 5 Ferozshah Road near Mandi House.Kerjwial later relocated to his officially allocated 95, Lodhi Estate residence - a type-VII government bungalow in Delhi.(With inputs from PTI)