Apart from the BJP and AAP party’s manifestos, and promises, another ‘object’ made it to the headlines, ahead of the Delhi Assembly Elections – ‘Sheesh Mahal’.
Recently, while speaking to reporters after the first session of the Delhi Assembly, BJP leader Parvesh Verma said the BJP would take the reporters for a ‘guided tour’ inside ‘Sheesh Mahal.’
‘Sheesh Mahal’ refers to the residence at 6, Flagstaff Road in north Delhi where Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal resided during his tenure. The term was introduced as a jibe by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Modi, who have often used it against Arvind Kejriwal for alleged lavish spending on the bungalow.
Sheesh Mahal ‘guided tour’
Parvesh Verma told reporters that he would take them inside the bungalow to get a glimpse of how the Arvind Kejriwal led AAP government used taxpayers’ money to fund the luxurious life of the chief minister.
“Abhi hum chal rahe hai… aapko ‘Sheesh Mahal’ dikha ke aate hai,” (I am going there now, will take you’ll also to the Sheesh Mahal), Verma told reporters.
Parvesh Verma, who was one of the top contenders for the post of Delhi CM, dethroned AAP chief and three-time Delhi CM Kejriwal from the New Delhi constituency seat in the Delhi Elections in February 2025.
Sheesh Mahal audit report
Last month, an audit report of the renovation at Sheesh Mahal revealed extravagant expenses, including curtains worth ₹96 lakh, a minibar valued at ₹4.80 lakh, and silk carpets priced at ₹16.27 lakh.
The initial estimate of Sheesh Mahal’s renovation was ₹7.91 crore. Upon completion by the Public Works Department (PWD) in 2022, the total cost of the alleged “Sheesh Mahal” was ₹33.66 crore – four times the actual estimates, Indian Express reported.
Earlier, the BJP had written to LG Saxena, alleging that Arvind Kejriwal had turned the bungalow into an “ultra-luxurious ‘Sheesh Mahal'” by “illegally annexing” neighbouring government properties, stated multiple reports.
