Jaitley back in Lutyen's Delhi, Gets a new ministerial Bungalow

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Special Report

Jaitley back in Lutyen's Delhi, Gets a new ministerial Bungalow

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, July 8

Former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will be back in Lutyen's Delhi soon.

If reports are to be believed, Jaitley has been allotted a new Bungalow number 22 at Akbar Road. The bungalow, presentely under occupation of former Union Minister of Steel Chaudhary Birender Singh, is now available for re-allotment.

Arun Jaitley who had shifted to his private house in Kailash Colony last month, has been re-allotted the Type VIII ministerial bungalow by the government. Jaitley had vacated his ministerial bungalow 2 Krishna Menon Marg and declined to become Finance Minister in the Modi-2 government on health ground. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited him to persuade him to stay on the government bungalow and suggested that he take oath as Minister without portfolio until he fully recovers.

It is learnt that Jaitley is showing signs of recovery and responding to treatment lately. As a member of the Rajya Sabha, Jaitley has been offered a ministerial once again due to his seniority. Jaitley accepted the offer and opted for 22 Akbar Road bungalow. However, Chaudhary Birender Singh will vacate the house he gets an alternative place of accommodation. He too is entitled to a bigger house being a member of Parliament since 1984 or an MLA and former minister.

The allotment and acceptance of 22 Akbar Road bungalow is significant in the sense that Jaitley considered his previous official residence as inauspicious. He believed that ever since he shifted to the Krishna Menon Marg house, his health continued to suffer and he had to undergo one surgery after the other.

But the 22 Akbar Road bungalow's previous occupants had been illustrious including Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ambika Soni and others. Its a different matter that Union Power Minister R K Singh remains unruffled with these beliefs and accepted the allotment of Jaitley's previous bungalow at Krishna Menon Marg. He is a former Union Home Secretary and believes and houses don't decide anybody's destiny.

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PM, Pawar shedding weight, politicians gearing up to be physically fit before polls

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Special Report 

PM, Pawar shedding weight

politicians gearing up to be physically fit before polls

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, Dec. 25

Come elections and leaders are working hard to lose weight. With elections are just 100 days away, top leaders of various political parties are doing everything under the Sun to lose weight. The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi is working very hard to shed weight and succeeded losing only three kg. Though he has a gym at his South Block office, he doesn't find time to do it regularly. Yet, he tries hard and do a lots of exercises under a trainer from a para military force. In a month, the PM is able to use the gym for 15 days only. He wants to lose another 7 kg before the parliamentary polls are announced.

The lead has been taken by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley who has shed 20 kg weight. Though he underwent a series of surgeries during the past two years including kidney transplant. But he is very strict with his diet and now fully fit and regained a lot of energy.

Another politician who has shed 15 kg weight is NCP president and Rajya Sabha MP Sharad Pawar. He is determined to loose fat and flab. He is undergoing rigorous physical exercises. He has become agile and walking briskly these days.

HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar has installed his own treadmill at his residence and a regular at the Constitution Club of India gym. Environment and Science & technology Minister Harsh Wardhan is also gym regular. Steel Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh is regular at the Lodhi Gardens and so is parliamentary minister of state Vijay Goel. The number of politicians joining the CCI gym is rising and reflects growing awareness among them.

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