Mayawati vacates one bungalow, BSP retains another

BSP supremo Mayawati has vacated a government house in Lucknow, claiming compliance with a Supreme Court order, while holding on to a second official bungalow which her party says is a memorial to Kanshi Ram.

The UP government recently sent notices to six politicians after Supreme Court ordered that they should shift out of the official accommodation allotted to them as former chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh.

Mayawati's personal secretary said today that she has now vacated 6, Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg which was allotted to her as a former chief minister.

But the UP government had sent her a notice asking her to vacate another bungalow, 13A, Mall Avenue, which the party says is a memorial to BSP founder Kashi Ram.

The BSP recently said Mayawati occupied just two rooms of the Shri Kanshi Ram Ji Yadgar Vishram Sthal.

The party had indicated that Mayawati was willing to vacate the bungalow on Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg if a notice was served.

Following the Supreme Court order, the UP government on May 17 issued notices to Narayan Dutt Tiwari, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Kalyan Singh, Mayawati, Rajnath Singh and Akhilesh Yadav to vacate the bungalows.

While Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh indicated their willingness to do so, the others have expressed reluctance.

N D Tiwari's wife Ujjwala Tiwari sought more time, pleading that her husband was in the "last stages" of his life.

Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son Akhilesh Yadav have written to the Estate Department seeking two more years at their official residences and have moved the apex court on this.