In the run-up to the Delhi Assembly Elections, alongside the manifestos and pledges of the BJP and AAP, another topic has captured headlines – ‘Sheesh Mahal.’
Recently, BJP leader Parvesh Verma informed reporters following the first session of the Delhi Assembly that the party would host a ‘guided tour’ of the ‘Sheesh Mahal’ for the media.
‘Sheesh Mahal’ denotes the residence located at 6, Flagstaff Road in north Delhi, where Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal lived during his term. This term was coined by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Modi as a dig at Arvind Kejriwal, criticizing alleged extravagant spending on the bungalow.
Guided Tour of Sheesh Mahal
Verma revealed to reporters that he would take them inside the bungalow to show how the AAP-led government has allegedly utilized taxpayer money to support the chief minister’s opulent lifestyle.
“Abhi hum chal rahe hai… aapko ‘Sheesh Mahal’ dikha ke aate hai,” (I am heading there now, will show you the Sheesh Mahal), Verma stated to the reporters.
Parvesh Verma, a prominent candidate for the Delhi Chief Minister position, managed to unseat AAP chief and three-term Delhi CM Kejriwal from the New Delhi constituency in the February 2025 elections.
Audit Report on Sheesh Mahal
Last month, an audit report regarding the renovations revealed extravagant expenditures, including curtains costs amounting to ₹96 lakh, a minibar valued at ₹4.80 lakh, and silk carpets priced at ₹16.27 lakh.
The initial projection for the renovation of Sheesh Mahal was ₹7.91 crore. However, once the work was completed by the Public Works Department (PWD) in 2022, the total expenditure on the so-called “Sheesh Mahal” reached ₹33.66 crore – nearly four times the original estimates, as reported by the Indian Express.
Previously, the BJP had lodged a complaint with LG Saxena, alleging that Arvind Kejriwal had transformed the bungalow into an “ultra-luxurious ‘Sheesh Mahal'” by “illegally annexing” adjacent government properties, as per various reports.
