After nearly a year without a permanent residence in the national capital, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal has been allotted a Type-VII government bungalow at 95, Lodhi Estate, putting an end to a prolonged dispute with the central government.

The allocation follows multiple hearings in the Delhi High Court, which criticised the Centre’s delay in responding to Kejriwal’s entitlement to official accommodation as the head of a recognised national party. The bungalow had previously been assigned to Iqbal Singh Lalpura, a BJP leader and ex-chairperson of the National Minority Commission.

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

Kejriwal’s new residence, located in a high-security and VIP-dense area of Lutyens’ Delhi, spans about 5,000 square feet and includes four bedrooms, a hall, waiting area, dining room, and a camp office with two rooms. There are also two lawns one smaller than the other and staff quarters that have been in use for around ten years.

This allotment was made only after the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), under pressure from the judiciary, instructed the Directorate of Estates to find a suitable accommodation. MoHUA manages and distributes government housing for top-level ministers, officials, judges, and party leaders.

Interestingly, AAP had earlier requested that Kejriwal be given 35, Lodhi Estate a larger bungalow previously occupied by BSP chief Mayawati. However, that residence had already been allotted to Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary in July 2025, after Mayawati vacated it in May.

Following Kejriwal’s resignation as Delhi Chief Minister on September 17, 2024, and the vacating of his official residence at 6, Flagstaff Road on November 4, he had been staying temporarily at the residence of AAP Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal, located at 5, Ferozeshah Road.

Mittal, who currently occupies a Type-VII bungalow himself, had offered the space as a temporary arrangement while AAP approached the courts. The party argued that as a national party president, Kejriwal qualified for even a Type-VIII bungalow under central guidelines.

While the new residence appears modest compared to some Lutyens’ Delhi homes, its assignment comes with political baggage. The Flagstaff Road residence, where Kejriwal previously lived as CM, became controversial during the 2024 Delhi Assembly elections. The opposition, particularly the BJP, dubbed it the “Sheesh Mahal”, accusing Kejriwal of using public funds for extravagant renovations.

That issue escalated into a formal probe. In 2022, a preliminary inquiry was launched by the Delhi Vigilance Department under the directive of Lt. Governor V.K. Saxena, examining cost escalations and procedural lapses by the Public Works Department (PWD) during renovations. The matter is now with the CBI, based on a complaint filed in December 2024 by BJP MLA Vijender Gupta.

AAP sources confirmed that Kejriwal and his wife, Sunita Kejriwal, visited 95 Lodhi Estate earlier this week to inspect the property. The family is expected to move in after standard government renovations are completed.

The bungalow also places Kejriwal among high-profile neighbours. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor resides at 97, Lodhi Estate, while senior Army officers occupy bungalows 94 and 96. Not far from the location, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi and RJD’s Misa Bharati live in bungalows 81 and 82, respectively.

Meanwhile, the Delhi government has announced plans to repurpose the now-vacated 6, Flagstaff Road residence into a state guest house equipped with a cafeteria, in an attempt to put the “Sheesh Mahal” episode behind them.