Kejriwal’s new 'sheesh mahal' in Chandigarh? Why Bungalow No. 5 is familiar to Punjab

According to reports, Arvind Kejriwal stayed in Bungalow No. 5 for three days in October.

The BJP and AAP are locking horns over Bungalow No. 50 of the Punjab government, in Chandigarh’s Sector 2.

The BJP has been claiming that the bungalow is the new “Sheeshmahal” of AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal.  The BJP has been alleging that Kejriwal, who visits Punjab frequently, has converted the bungalow into a “palatial” base for his visits.

In a post on X, the Delhi BJP earlier accused Kejriwal of having a “luxurious 7-star govt bungalow” in Chandigarh’s Sector 2 for himself.

Dubbing Kejriwal as Punjab's "Super CM", the BJP said that the AAP chief, who claims to be a “common man,” has been given a grand bungalow. "After vacating the Sheeshmahal in Delhi, Punjab’s “Super CM” Arvind Kejriwal has now had an even more magnificent Sheeshmahal prepared in Punjab," it said on X.

According to reports, Kejriwal stayed in Bungalow No. 5 for three days in October.  He stayed at Vikas Bhawan, a government guest house located in an upmarket area of Mohali, in September.

Bhagwant Mann’s residence is mere stone’s throw away from this bungalow. However, the CM said the house is a “camp office-cum-guest house” in the Chief Minister’s ministerial pool. This means that the CM can invite any of his guests to this bungalow. The bungalow was given to AAP in 2022 when it came to power in Punjab.

Sources told Indian Express that when Kejriwal was staying at Vikas Bhawan, a guesthouse of the Rural Development Department, it was inconvenient to other guests.

Due to its location, Bungalow No. 50 has been inhabited by various political leaders.

Who lived in Bungalow No. 50?

Just before Kejriwal, it was occupied by AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha.  The bungalow was whitewashed and cleaned after Chadha vacated it.

Many  people have been its residents over the past three decades.

In 2020, Parkash Singh Badal refused to vacate this house after he lost the election in 2002 to Capt Amarinder Singh-led Congress. However, Badal never lived there.

When Om Prakash Chautala lost the Haryana elections in 2005 and needed a house to live in Chandigarh, Badal offered him this bungalow.

In 2009, after his party performed better, Chautala shifted to a house allotted to him in Sector 19.

Before Chautala lived here, it was the residence of Punjab Police’s top cop KPS Gill. Before Gill, his predecessor, Julio Ribeiro, would his officers in this bungalow.

Gill’s predecessor, Julio Ribeiro, would often meet his officers in this house.

In 2009, when Chautala left House No. 50 for another residence, it was returned to the Punjab CM’s house pool. Badal was then the CM and the house was allotted to his son-in-law, Adesh Partap Singh Kairon.

When Badal lost in 2017 and Capt Amarinder became CM again, the house was allotted to former Advocate General Atul Nanda. After Amarinder resigned in 2021, the house was allotted to former deputy CM Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa.

In 2022, when AAP came to power in Punjab, House No. 50 was designated the CM’s “camp office-cum-guest house”.