The entrance to one of the bungalows allotted to BSP chief Mayawati
The UPA government has allowed Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) chief Mayawati to retain five sprawling bungalows in the Lutyen's zone in the capital, the most high security address in the country that houses top ministers and officials.
This comes says after Mayawati got approval of the Urban Development Ministry for merging three sprawling bungalows on the Gurudwara Rakabgunj Road into one for adequate space for Bahujan Samaj Prerna Trust and was allowed two more bungalows one on the same road and the other at the Tyagraj Marg.
These bungalows are among the largest government quarters in Delhi, each featuring eight bedrooms, four servant quarters and front and back lawns. The merged property covers an area six times bigger than the main chamber of the Lok Sabha in Parliament House, which seats over 500 MPs.
The construction under way on the 'super-bungalow' has been labelled illegal by the government's own Central Public Works Department.
At present, five other charitable trusts are allowed to be operational in the Lutyen's bungalow zone. They are Babu Jagjivan Ram Memorial, Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial and the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts.
Mayawati is an important player in Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state and a key factor in deciding the next government in Delhi with its 80 Lok Sabha seats. The government has earlier been accused of misusing the CBI to manipulate cases involving the BSP chief.
The former Chief Minister won only 21 seats in the 2009 Lok Sabha election, but the Congress is counting on her to improve its prospects next year, with Mulayam Singh Yadav, the leader of UP's ruling Samajwadi Party, proving to be a capricious ally.