Hours after officially switching to BJP from AAP, Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha on Saturday launched his first public criticism of his political mentor and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Backing the BJP’s renewed “Sheesh Mahal 2” allegations, Chadha said the Aam Aadmi Party must introspect, linking the controversy to the party’s electoral setbacks.
Speaking to the media, Chadha said the issue of Kejriwal’s official residence, earlier dubbed “Sheesh Mahal” by the BJP, was a major factor behind AAP’s defeat in the Delhi Assembly elections.
“‘Sheesh Mahal Part Two’ has now emerged in Delhi. Some pictures have surfaced. If there was one major reason for the Aam Aadmi Party’s loss in the Delhi elections, the Sheesh Mahal controversy was certainly among the most significant,” he said.
His remarks came after BJP leaders sharpened their attack on Kejriwal, accusing him of continuing a lifestyle at odds with AAP’s anti-corruption image. At a press conference, Delhi minister Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma alleged that Kejriwal had moved from his previous official residence to another lavish bungalow. “After he was forced out of Sheesh Mahal by the voters of Delhi, he shifted to Punjab, where he grabbed a bungalow, and now he has prepared ‘Sheesh Mahal 2’ at Lodhi Estate,” Verma claimed.
Chadha doubled down on the criticism, questioning how AAP’s remaining cadre would respond to public scrutiny. “Not even a year has passed since the Delhi elections ended and ‘Sheesh Mahal Part Two’ has surfaced. I wonder how the few remaining good workers of AAP will respond when people in the streets ask them questions. The party should introspect,” he told the press.
Chadha left party with 6 other MPs
The remarks come a day after a major political jolt to AAP, as multiple Rajya Sabha MPs, including Chadha, resigned from the party and joined the BJP. Chadha, who was earlier removed as AAP’s deputy leader in the Upper House, rejected claims that the exit was driven by fear.
“We did not leave AAP out of fear, but out of disappointment, disenchantment and disgust,” he said.
CAG flagged ₹33.66 cr spend on Kejriwal’s Delhi residence
In the 2025 Delhi assembly elections, the BJP centered its campaign around “lavish” renovations made inside former CM Arvind Kejriwal’s official residence. A Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on the renovation was tabled in the Delhi Assembly in March 2026 and the audit flagged significant cost overruns and procedural lapses.
According to the report, the renovation cost escalated to ₹33.66 crore, a staggering 342% increase from the initial estimate of ₹7.91 crore, later revised to ₹8.62 crore. Of this, nearly ₹18.88 crore was spent on what the audit described as “superior specifications” and ornamental or artistic items.
The CAG also pointed to irregularities in the execution of the project. It noted that the Public Works Department (PWD) relied on restricted bidding, with only one contractor meeting eligibility criteria. The PWD also failed to invite fresh tenders for additional works worth ₹25.8 crore, instead awarding them to the same contractor.
However, the Aam Aadmi Party has consistently rejected the allegations. At the time, it called them politically motivated. The party also argued that the BJP exaggerated the findings to gain electoral advantage, particularly ahead of the Delhi elections.