Priyanka Gandhi's bungalow allotted to BJP MP Anil Baluni

New Delhi: The government has allotted the 35, Lodhi Estate bungalow, which Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was asked to vacate last week, to BJP's Rajya Sabha MP and party spokesperson Anil Baluni. The report of allotment has come before the deadline which the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has fixed for the Congress general secretary to vacate the bunglow.

Sources said that Baluni had sought to exchange his 20, Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Road bungalow sometime back. "The Ministry had ordered Priyanka Gandhi to vacate her bungalow earlier this week, as she no longer has Special Protection Group security. After that, it was allotted to Baluni in exchange of his Gurudwara Rakab Ganj bungalow," sources said. Both the bungalow is at type 6B category.

According to sources, Priyanka has not vacated the bungalow so far as she has been given a time till August 1 to vacate the bungalow. The MoHUA cancelled the allotment of Priyanka's bungalow on Wednesday after her Special Protection Group (SPG) cover was withdrawn by the government in 2019. "Consequent upon withdrawal of SPG protection and grant of Z+ security cover by Ministry of Home Affairs, which does not have provision for allotment/retention of government accommodation on security ground to you, the allotment of Type 6B house number 35, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi is hereby cancelled with effect from 01/07/2020," said the ministry's notice.

According to the current norms, there are no provisions for allotment or retention of government accommodation to those with Z+ security unless exceptions are made based on recommendations given by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The bungalow was allotted to her Priyanka Gandhi as she was Special Protection Group (SPG) protectee. The SPG rules allow all the protectees to get government accommodation.