The perks Indian political class enjoys includes a house, on the house

British prime ministers after demitting office have to vacate the official residence at 10 Downing Street immediately; and it is not the state’s business to worry about their future housing prospects. After a stint in temporary digs, the Camerons, for instance, are expected to move back into their own London house. However, that is one British tradition India decided not to emulate, and the political class has made itself quite at home in the spacious bungalows built for colonial grandees. So much so that today’s netas are clearly not even satisfied with one such official pied-à-terre and occupy several, in different cities — and try to retain them as long as possible. And former Indian presidents, vice-presidents and prime ministers never have to worry about finding affordable housing ever again.

This strong attachment to official housing is obviously why rather than heed the Allahabad High Court directive to divest former chief ministers of their state housing, the UP government is gearing up to change the law so that they can stay there for life, if not in the afterlife too. Besides it being difficult to find a rationale for politicians living off the state in perpetuity, such leases are obviously not a very wise longterm prospect. In a few decades, eligible allottees will certainly outnumber available accommodation.