The controversy surrounding the official residence of Delhi Chief Minister Atishi at 6 Flagstaff Road has intensified, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of attempting to orchestrate a political coup to seize control of the property. According to AAP, the Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Delhi, VK Saxena, acting on behalf of the BJP, ordered the removal of Atishi's belongings from the bungalow, furthering what AAP describes as a scheme to install a BJP leader in the prestigious residence.
AAP has portrayed this incident as part of a larger strategy by the BJP, which has been out of power in Delhi for over two decades, to find a way to dominate the city's political landscape. Senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh voiced his frustrations, stating that this was a calculated move to deprive their party of power. He accused the BJP of trying to forcibly gain access to the Chief Minister’s official residence, which holds symbolic importance for the ruling party in Delhi.
Visuals of the eviction process showed multiple cartons and belongings being removed from the property as a Public Works Department (PWD) team arrived at the scene. AAP maintains that this action was taken without due process and that the BJP, with the backing of the LG’s office, is actively plotting to allot the residence to a prominent BJP figure in a bid to undermine the AAP government.
However, sources close to the LG's office have pushed back on these claims, emphasizing that the residence in question is not officially designated as the Chief Minister's bungalow. They argue that the house belongs to the PWD and, as with all government properties, must follow an official process of reassignment. The sources also noted that Arvind Kejriwal, the former Chief Minister and AAP’s national convenor, never formally returned the property to the PWD after vacating it, raising suspicions about why AAP leaders were attempting to take possession of the house without proper authorization. According to these sources, Atishi briefly moved her belongings into the house without having an official allotment, sparking the controversy.
The LG office further clarified that Atishi's official residence is at 17 AB Mathura Road, and any movement into the Flagstaff Road property was premature, as the PWD was still processing its reassignment. Kejriwal vacated the house last week after resigning as Chief Minister and has since relocated to 5 Ferozeshah Road, previously occupied by AAP Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal.
Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva also weighed in, asserting that the residence had been "finally sealed" and accusing the AAP of attempting to hide damaging secrets within the bungalow. In a video message, Sachdeva claimed that Kejriwal's refusal to hand over the property to the authorities suggested that the house might hold sensitive information. He questioned why Kejriwal and his party attempted to occupy the bungalow again, despite it no longer being allotted to them, and emphasized that the attempt to hand the residence to Atishi without going through proper channels was unconstitutional.
Sachdeva's remarks have fueled the already heated dispute, with BJP leaders insinuating that AAP's actions indicate there may be more to the story than just a routine house allotment. He called out the party for using the incident to stir drama and gain political sympathy, pointing to the media coverage of trucks carrying out belongings as part of a broader public relations campaign by AAP.
This confrontation has quickly become a high-profile political tussle between the two parties. AAP alleges that the BJP, having failed to gain electoral support in Delhi, is now using backdoor tactics to weaken the AAP government. Conversely, BJP leaders have used the situation to challenge AAP’s credibility, questioning their transparency and procedural integrity.
As the dispute escalates, the battle for the residence at Flagstaff Road has evolved into a symbol of the broader power struggle between AAP and BJP in Delhi. Both sides are accusing each other of malfeasance, and the issue is likely to continue playing out in both political and legal arenas. The PWD's involvement and the ultimate reassignment of the property will be closely watched, as it could have significant implications for the future dynamics between Delhi’s ruling party and the central government-backed BJP.
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