Ministers hankering for the Lutyen’s Lifestyle is a hit or miss

Ministers eyeing plush bungalows; Pradhan moves to Sibals' house

Sanjeev Acharya | 26 March, 2015 | 08:30 AM

When Smriti Irani became the Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat in 2011 she approached the then Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath through a common industrialist acquaintance and requested him to give her a nice bungalow. Kamal Nath almost agreed to the demand but two of her party colleagues, both senior to her, protested privately to the minister that she should not be given a bungalow larger than theirs.
Kamal Nath deputed his junior minister, Rajiv Shukla, to resolve the matter. Shukla met Irani and convinced her that she should move into the smaller duplex flat in which he used to live until then he moved to a bigger bungalow after becoming minister. Shukla told Irani that he had performed many yagnas and important pujas in that flat and that it was very lucky. Irani agreed and moved in that flat. When she became Union Minister, she started searching for a bigger bungalow. She could not find any suitable unoccupied bungalow and had to once again compromise on a smaller bungalow.
Another minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, when he visited the bungalow which was allotted to him was surprised to see Kapil Sibal’s staff digging out the lovely marble tiles from the bathrooms. They informed him that the entire renovation of the bungalow had been done on Sibal’s personal expenses so that’s why they are taking all tiles and fittings away.
Former Olympian and Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore is said to be eying the bungalow of where Amar Singh used to live. Amar Singh is know for his fondness of a lavish lifestyle and it goes without saying that cost would not have been a factor in the renovation and decoration of that bungalow.