The new Chief Minister of Delhi will not use the controversial "Sheesh Mahal"—the former official residence of ex-Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal—as his/her official residence, as reported by NDTV citing sources.
Before the Delhi Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) aggressively used the term to target the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, accusing AAP chief Kejriwal of misusing public funds for personal luxury.
"Sheesh Mahal" refers to an opulent house. The BJP has alleged a "big scam" in the renovation of Kejriwal's official bungalow. The BJP returned to power in Delhi after 26 years, winning 48 seats in the Assembly elections. The AAP, which had secured landslide victories in the last two Assembly elections, was reduced to 22 seats, while the Congress party failed to open its account for the third consecutive time despite its high command's massive efforts to rejuvenate the party in the Union Territory.
The suspense over the new Chief Minister continues in Delhi, as the BJP has yet to formally announce its candidate for the top post. A few names have been circulating in the media as frontrunners. Newly-elected MLA Parvesh Verma, who emerged as a giant killer after defeating former Delhi CM and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal in the New Delhi constituency, is considered one of the top contenders among BJP leaders for the Chief Minister's post.
Apart from Verma, the names of Satish Upadhyay, Ashish Sood, Manoj Tiwari, and Vijender Gupta are also making the rounds.
According to reports, the new Chief Minister of Delhi will be sworn in only after Prime Minister Narendra Modi returns from his US visit this week.
