Priyanka Gandhi to shift out of her Lutyens bungalow by month-end

New Delhi, Jul 9: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will be vacating her Lodhi Estate bungalow by month-end and shifting base to Lucknow when the COVID-19 situation improves, sources close to her said.

The Vadras are learnt to be scouting for an alternative accommodation in Delhi that will cater to her security considerations, and a house for Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has been finalised in Lucknow where she will shift later when the ongoing lockdown eases.

Sources close to her said no house has been finalised yet, but the Vadras are in the process of winding up their 35, Lodhi Estate house, and the packing and shifting of their household belongings are underway.

Some of her old belongings are also learnt to have been kept at Sonia Gandhi's 10, Janpath residence. The Lucknow house that she will occupy belongs to Sheila Kaul and is located on Gokhle Marg.

The house is lying vacant and renovation work is also almost complete. Sheila Kaul, who died in 2015, was the sister-in-law of India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. She had been a Union minister and a governor.

The sources said that plans for her to shift base to Lucknow have been afoot for a few months now, but were delayed due to the outbreak of the pandemic. Priyanka Gandhi is in-charge of Congress's affairs in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, but is practically looking after the entire state now, ever since Jyotiraditya Scindia switched over to the BJP.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development had last week served a notice on her to vacate the said premises before August 1 as she no longer comes under SPG security cover.

"Consequent to withdrawal of SPG protection and grant of Z+ security cover by MHA, which does not provide for allotment or retention of government accommodation on security grounds to you, the allotment of type 6B house No. 35 Lodhi Estate is hereby cancelled wef July 1.

One month concession period on same rent till August 1 is allowed as per rules," the Housing Ministry notice said. PTI SKC AAR AAR