A house for Mr Kejriwal

AAP chief’s splurging taxpayer money on fancy home can be fatal for his party

Alok Tiwari

As elections to Delhi assembly near, the chief of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal faces some problems in getting himself and his party re-elected. In the opening salvo of the battle, prime minister Narendra Modi raised the issue of Delhi CM’s official bungalow that was done up allegedly in an extravagant manner. Modi pointedly called the bungalow “sheesh mahal” (literally, a glass palace), so dubbed because of its bling, and said he built homes for the poor instead of flashy bungalow for himself.

Not coincidentally, the very next day a CAG report pointing out extravagant expenses done on the bungalow was also leaked to the media. It detailed item wise the original plan for the renovation and how the specifications were upgraded for a whopping cost increase. While the original work was awarded at Rs8.6 crore, the entire work ended up costing over Rs 33 crore. While the sum itself may not be much, the four times increase from original estimate is hard to justify. Some of the things that CAG report details are truly eyepopping.

Kejriwal, of course, hit back alleging Modi’s own bungalow had cost Rs2700 crore. He also mentioned prime minister’s official plane costing Rs 8400 crore and the latter’s infamous Rs 10 lakh suit. The idea being that his own extravagance pales in comparison with that of his accuser. That is politics. However, the yardstick to judge Kejriwal is not the same as the one to judge Modi. It may be unfair but that is politics too.

Modi and the BJP sell themselves to the electorate mainly as protectors of Hindutva faith. That is the main dish. The rest is just garnishing. Congress and others position themselves as defenders of secular and democratic values against BJP’s Hindutva onslaught and its autocratic ways. But AAP’s main plank is honesty and simplicity. It has emerged as a force in Indian politics primarily on anti-corruption platform. For leaders of other parties, revelations of living it up at taxpayers’ expense may be uncomfortable but are not fatally damaging.

But for AAP, the honesty plank is bread, butter, and jam. For it to be seen as indulging in the same practices as others is suicidal. It has repeatedly attacked other parties for splurging on comforts of their leaders instead of providing amenities for common people. Kejriwal has often projected his own and his fellow leaders’ spartan lifestyle as the reason why he is able to build world-class schools for common people. He has advertised his cutting pruning the inflated estimates of projects that helped saved the exchequer substantial sums so he could offer free bus rides to women, pilgrimage to the elderly, and free power to people of Delhi.

For him to go and build a fancy home for himself will not cut it. Of course, he is not alone in enjoying the perks of office. A big reason, apart from the reins of power, why politicians work so hard to get elected is they get to live like billionaires. The official homes of ministers and senior bureaucrats are in most coveted part of any capital. They are usually spread over acres of land and sport plush amenities. The whole raison d’etre of AAP’s rise was to change this.

Of course, it is nobody’s case that CM of Delhi should live in a 3BHK at Patparganj. As a public figure and the person who receives many visitors every day, it is understandable the residence will be large and have facilities not found in an average home. Yet, that does not justify Rs 20 lakh TV console or Rs 16 lakh silk carpet or smart LED lights worth Rs 45 lakh. Some upgradations like marble stone for walls that ended up costing Rs 46 lakh more, floor marbles worth Rs 2.21 crore, and curtains worth Rs 95 lakh make it seem like work done at Antilia and not home of a public servant. A house can be large and functional yet simple.

It is not clear whether Kejriwal himself demanded this or it is done by some over-enthusiastic underling. Either way it is a blunder. He should have known whatever is done there will be associated with him and should have kept a closer eye on the project. Kejriwal may be many things, but he is not stupid. He has created a political party that is running two states. And he has often come out on top against the resources of BJP and charisma of Narendra Modi. That is why this lapse of judgment is so baffling. This one project threatens to undo the years of hard work put in making AAP stand up against the most formidable and vengeful political opposition in the country.

Politics is as much about optics as it is about substance. There was a reason why Mahatma Gandhi lived with a visible simplicity. His hosts often had to spend great effort to ensure frugality for him leading Sarojini Naidu to joke that it costs a great deal to keep the Mahatma in poverty. But his overt rejection of even semblance of luxury was what resonated with the average Indian of his time and still does with people of today. It was his way of identifying with the man on the street and it won him a following that even popular leaders of his time could only dream of.

Kejriwal initially appeared to be following a similar path. His use of his own Wagon R instead of big official vehicle of Delhi chief minister was part of that effort. Over the last few years though there has been an unmistakable “mainstreaming” of Kejriwal. The system he set out to destroy seems to have grown upon him and has incorporated him. He needs to shake it off to keep himself relevant. He has the smarts to do it, does he have the will?

This column appeared in Lokmat Times on Jan 8, 2025