AAP's Gayatri Bishnoi vacates Chandigarh bungalow

NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) functionary Gayatri Bishnoi vacated a ministerial bungalow in Chandigarh as the opposition sharpened its attack on the ruling party.

Bishnoi, who is the AAP's observer in Punjab, landed in the eye of a political storm after Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira, in a video released on X, made an off-colour remark alleging that Bishnoi was staying at a Chandigarh government bungalow with former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia. Bungalow number 960 in Sector 39A had been allotted to minister Ravjot Singh.

Khaira also questioned why AAP leaders who do not hold ministerial positions in the Punjab government were occupying official residences allotted to elected ministers. Though Bishnoi retaliated threatening legal action against Khaira, she has now vacated the government bungalow.


People familiar with the matter said that the ruling party wanted to avoid a controversy similar to the one surrounding AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal's official bungalow renovation expenses. In the run-up to the Delhi assembly election last year, the BJP had run a campaign calling the official bungalow 'Sheesh Mahal' and making public the expenses incurred by the exchequer for its renovation. With the Punjab assembly election months away, the AAP is focusing on implementation of government schemes.