Kejriwal to soon vacate CM residence, AAP scouts for supremo's new address

NEW DELHI: AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal will soon vacate the official residence of Delhi chief minister in the city’s Civil Lines area, with an intensive search on for a new house near his New Delhi constituency, the party said on Saturday.

Kejriwal, who resigned as Delhi chief minister earlier this month, said he would vacate the official Flagstaff Road residence during the Navratri period. The auspicious Hindu festival commences from the first week of October.

"Arvind Kejriwal will vacate the CM residence soon and search for his new accommodation has been intensified. Kejriwal is prioritising locations near his assembly constituency New Delhi, as he intends to remain connected with the people there," the Aam Aadmi Pary (AAP) said in a statement.

With Delhi Assembly elections only a few months away, the AAP national convener is "keenly focused" on finding a property that will allow him to utilise his time and resources to the fullest, the party said.

He is searching for a place that not only provides a base for his work but also allows him to travel and stay connected with every corner of the city and its people, it said.

AAP MLAs, councillors, workers as well as the common people are offering the former chief minister accommodation, regardless of their social, economic, or political background, the party said.

Some have requested him to live with them, others have offered shared spaces, and many have provided vacant places for him to stay, it added.

Offers of accommodation for Kejriwal have come from across the city, including from neighbourhoods such as Defence Colony, Pitampura, Jor Bagh, Chanakyapuri, Greater Kailash, Vasant Vihar, and Hauz Khas, the statement said.

The former Delhi chief minister is looking for a property which is clear of all sorts of encumbrances and disputes, it said.

The AAP has demanded that the Central government provide an official accommodation to Kejriwal for holding the position of president of a national party.

Kejriwal lives with his family, including his wife, children and elderly parents.

Before joining politics, Kejriwal who hails from Haryana, used to live in the Kaushambi area of Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad.

After he became Delhi chief minister for the first time in 2013, he moved to a bungalow at Tilak Lane in Delhi. He shifted to the Flagstaff Road residence in 2015 after once again swearing in as the chief minister of Delhi.