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Priyanka Gandhi set to move into new Lutyens’ house
The allotment comes after a protracted housing saga that began in 2020, when the government served Priyanka an eviction notice from her long-time residence.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has been allotted the government bungalow at 81 Lodhi Estate, leaders close to her said on Monday, marking her official return to Lutyens’ Delhi’s prestigious political enclave after a controversial eviction five years ago.
The Type-6B bungalow, which until recently served as the headquarters of Sharad Pawar’s NCP faction following the party’s 2023 split, has now been reassigned to the Congress MP from Wayanad.
The allotment comes after a protracted housing saga that began in July 2020, when the government served Priyanka an eviction notice from her long-time residence at 35 Lodhi Estate. The Directorate of Estates had then cited the withdrawal of her Special Protection Group (SPG) cover as grounds for cancellation of her government accommodation. The notice stated that her subsequent Z+ security category, provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs, did not automatically entitle her to retain the bungalow. She is currently staying at G -80 Sujan Singh Park, Humayun Road. A leader close to her told HT that “renovations are underway”.
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The Congress had alleged vendetta politics at the time of eviction.
A person close to NCP-SP leader Supriya Sule told HT that she vacated 81, Lodhi Estate just two months ago as a “goodwill gesture” to enable Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to be allotted the bungalow. “Sule gave up the office space so that Gandhi could get it, because otherwise, as a first-time MP, she would’ve been given a small flat and would have also had to pay for the security,” the person said.
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“Sule and Sharad Pawar felt Priyanka deserves much more,” the person added.
As of press time, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs had not responded to queries about whether any renovations were undertaken at 81 Lodhi Estate between its vacation by the NCP and re-allotment to Priyanka. Estate records show the bungalow was last refurbished in 2018 as part of routine maintenance of government accommodations.
