Lucknow, May 31: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati vacated a government house in Lucknow but retains the second bungalow. The BSP claims the second bungalow as a memorial to their founder Kanshi Ram. Mayawati’s personal secretary, Mewa Lal Gautam, on Wednesday informed that she had vacated the bungalow on 6, Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg. This bungalow was allotted to her as a former chief minister. According to a report published in News 18, Gautam wrote to Estate Officer and stated that the BSP chief had vacated the bungalow. The keys of the bungalow were sent to the Estate Officer through speed post.

Mewa Lal Gautam told News 18, “The copy of the electricity bill that she had deposited Rs 73,69,487 power dues was also sent to the Estate Officer. The letter and keys were received at the Estate Department on Wednesday. The principal secretary Estate Department and principal secretary, Chief Minister had been also informed that BSP chief had vacated the bungalow. The security and maintenance of the bungalow now rests with the Estate Department.”

The Supreme Court on May 7 in its order said that former chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh were not entitled to government bungalows according to the court these bungalows are "public property that belongs to the people of the country". After the apex court’s order, the UP government on May 17 issued notices to Narayan Dutt Tiwari, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Kalyan Singh, Mayawati, Rajnath Singh and Akhilesh Yadav to vacate the bungalows.

Mayawati got has gotten a notice to vacate Bungalow on 13A, Mall Avenue and not the bungalow on Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg. The BSP believed that the government had sent that the notice to Mayawati was for the wrong bungalow. A BSP delegation after meeting Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, claimed that the Mall Avenue bungalow had been converted into a Kanshi Ram memorial in 2011.

According to the party, Mayawati occupied only two rooms in that bungalow. On May 21, a board with 'Shri Kanshi Ram Ji Yadgar Vishram Sthal' written on it was installed at the bungalow. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh who became chief minister of the state in 2000 and another former CM Kalyan Singh showed their readiness to vacate their government bungalows, whereas Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singyh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav have shown reluctance to vacate their bungalows.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 31, 2018 06:32 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).