Vacating govt bungalow: BSP turns Mayawati residence into Kanshi Ram memorial, Akhilesh seeks 2-year reprieve

Notwithstanding the Supreme Court order, former Uttar Pradesh chief ministers Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav appear not very keen on leaving the official bungalows allotted to them.

While the BSP has declared the official residence occupied by its supremo Maywati as a memorial for party founder Kanshi Ram, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav has sought two years' time to vacate the premises, arguing he does not have other place where he could live with his kind of security cover.

The development comes despite the Supreme Court earlier this month ordering that former chief ministers cannot occupy their official residences after demitting offices, and a Uttar Pradesh government notification on May 17 asking the ex-CMs to vacate their official bungalows within 15 days.

As Mayawati makes preparations to shift to a new house, a board came today up on the government bungalow which she currently occupies, declaring it as Sri Kanshi Ram Ji Yadgar Vishram Sthal.

The BSP supremo currently lives in the sprawling 13 A Mall Avenue bungalow, in her capacity as a former chief minister of the state, and she has decided to move to another one just across the road to the 9, Mall Avenue, which she purchased in 2010.

This morning, however , the party got a new board on the 13-A building declaring it 'Sri Kanshiram ji Yadgar Vishram Sthal' (Sri Kanshi Ramji Memorial Rest House). The board also carries a picture of BSP ideologue Kanshi Ram.

Explaining reasons behind the move, a senior BSP functionary said the bungalow has been associated with party founder Kanshi Ram in several ways. He claimed it was allotted in the name of Kanshi Ram and that is why the board has been put up.

However, when contacted, a senior officer in the Estate Department said, "As per our knowledge, the bungalow was allotted to Mayawati in her capacity as a former CM. But since a board has come up there in the name of Kanshi Ramji, we will look into our records."