New Delhi, Oct 4 (IANS): Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal vacated his official residence on Friday and shifted to a government residence on Feroze Shah Road in Lutyens' Delhi.
Before Kejriwal and his family moved into the new house, a formal prayer ceremony was conducted at the government residence on Ferozeshah Road. This residence is located near the Aam Aadmi Party's headquarters and was allotted to Ashok Mittal, AAP's Rajya Sabha member from Punjab.
The government bungalow in Civil Lines, near the Delhi Assembly, was allotted to Kejriwal when he was the Chief Minister. Kejriwal vacated the Chief Minister's residence on Friday, along with his family and all other belongings and shifted to the new residence.
Kejriwal’s new residence is also close to his constituency in New Delhi. For now, he will reside in this government house, typically allocated to Members of Parliament, until the Delhi Assembly elections conclude.
Arvind Kejriwal was implicated in the Delhi Liquor Policy case and was in jail. After being released from jail, Kejriwal announced his resignation, stating that he could not continue working with such allegations hanging over him. He declared his decision to go to the people's court, saying that the public would decide whether he was honest or corrupt. He declared that he would return to the chair only after earning a 'certificate of honesty' in people's court.
After resigning, Kejriwal's team had begun searching for a new residence. Many of the AAP leaders and functionaries including councillors, MLAs and MPs offered their homes to the party supremo.
The search for a residence for Kejriwal ended with AAP MP Ashok Mittal offering his government-allotted accommodation.
Earlier, Kejriwal's close confidante and former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia also left his official bungalow and moved into a new residence, which is the official bungalow of AAP MP Harbhajan Singh. Following his arrest in the liquor gate, his house was allotted to another Delhi minister Atishi, now the new Delhi Chief Minister.