by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group
A lokmat Exclusive report
Ex-Ministers & MPs told to vacate houses
265 Newly elected MPs waiting for Houses
Shartughan, Kharge, Kalraj, Anant Geete to vacate after decades
Harish Gupta
New Delhi, June 16
More than 265 former parliamentarians including some of the leading lights like Shatrughan Sinha, Kalraj Mishra, Anant Geete, Mallikarjun Kharge, Upendra Kushwaha, Sharad Yadav have to vacate their palatial Lutyen’s Zone Bungalow within the next two weeks. Ex-ministers, former MPs get 2-3 weeks to vacate houses.
The Directorate of Estate and House Committee of the Lok Sabha have already notified former MPs to vacate these houses without delay. At least four dozen of these were occupying bungalows in Lutyen's Delhi for decades as they have been winning elections term after term. But the 17th Lok Sabha brought 265 new Lok Sabha MPs and a large number of veterans had to eat the humble pie. For example, BJP veteran Shatrughan Sinha had been an occupant of 10 Talkatora Road for almost three decades. After his humiliating defeat, he is left with no option but to look for alternative private house. Similarly, Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia is vacating the Safdarjung Road bungalow after almost four decades within the next 15 days. It’s the same story with former JD (U) leader Sharad Yadav who has been occupant of 7 Tughlaq Road. Though the case is still in courts, now that he contested on the RJD symbol, his disqualification as Rajya Sabha MP has become certainty. Same goes for Mallikarjun Kharge who lost his Lok Sabha polls. Almost all members of Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s shouting brigade in Lok Sabha have lost LS polls and have to vacate houses. Bhupinder Singh Hooda has been staying at Pandit Pant Marg for several decades. Butnow his son has also lost the LS polls and they will have to bid adieu to the bungalow.
Some of the leading BJP lights like Sushma Swaraj, Uma Bharti and Kalraj Mishra didn’t contest polls. They were not given any government post so far. Now they are also looking for alternative accommodation unless given gubernatorial assignment.
According to the information available from official sources, there are 133 new Lok Sabha MPs elected on the BJP ticket out of 303 while Congress has a batch of 30 newly elected MPs out of 52. This is followed by YSR Congress which has 18 new MPs while DMK has 17. Incidentally, Shiv Sena has 4 new MPs. In all 265 are elected first time.
