Will vacate Delhi CM’s official house when Navratri starts: Kejriwal

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal, who stepped down as the chief minister on September 17, on Sunday said he will vacate the CM’s official residence at 6, Flagstaff Road in Civil Lines as soon as the Navratri begin, in the first week of October.
Kejriwal has been living at the CM’s official residence since 2015, after the AAP won absolute majority in the Delhi assembly and he was elected chief minister for the second time.
Speaking at a public gathering at Jantar Mantar, Kejriwal said that despite serving as the chief minister of Delhi for over a decade, he is yet to purchase his own house in the city.
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“In a few days I will be leaving the CM’s bungalow. Today, after 10 years since I became CM, I don’t even have a house in Delhi. Many people tell me what kind of a man you are, you remained CM for 10 years, you could have built 10 bungalows in 10 years,” Kejriwal said.
“I have not earned anything in 10 years, I have only earned your love and blessings. And the result of this love is that today when I am leaving the official accommodation, so many people in Delhi are offering me their houses, without rent. After Pitru Paksha (a 16-day period in the Hindu calendar) ends, and as soon as the Navratras start, I will leave the CM residence and come to any of your houses and start living with you,” he said.
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In response, Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said Kejriwal is trying to “mislead” the people by trying to project that he is making a sacrifice by leaving the residence. “Previous CMs also left their official bungalows without drama. But Kejriwal doesn’t do anything without drama as he believes that he can fool the people all the time,” he said.
Meanwhile, a Public Works Department (PWD) official, on condition of anonymity, said that as per convention, a chief minister should move out of the CM’s official residence within two-three weeks of his/her resignation being accepted.
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To be sure, the President accepted Kejriwal’s resignation on Friday, which means that his vacating 6, Flagstaff Road in the first week of October falls well within the purview of the convention.
Earlier this week, the AAP had demanded that Kejriwal be provided an accommodation in central Delhi, saying he is entitled to the same as he is the convenor of a national party.