New Delhi, Sept 1 — Former vice-president Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday shifted from his official residence to a private farmhouse in South Delhi’s Chhatarpur, six weeks after resigning from his post, officials said.
The farmhouse belongs to Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader Abhay Chautala, son of former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala. Officials said Dhankhar will stay there temporarily until he is allotted a Type-8 bungalow, which he is entitled to as a former vice-president.
The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry has not yet received a formal request from Dhankhar for allotment of government accommodation, another official noted.
Confirming Dhankhar’s move, Abhay Chautala said, “We have old family ties with him. He is like a family member. I don’t have to offer him to stay in our house, it is his own house.”
Dhankhar has shared long-standing ties with the Chautala family, beginning with former deputy prime minister Chaudhary Devi Lal, whom he often described as his political mentor. At an event in Sirsa in March, Dhankhar recalled how Devi Lal encouraged him to enter politics, saying, “I am a pleader (lawyer). He told me to remove the ‘P’ and become a leader.”
Dhankhar, a law graduate who once practised as an advocate, resigned on July 21, the opening day of the Monsoon session of Parliament, citing health reasons. Since stepping down, he has stayed largely out of the public eye, spending time with his family, playing table tennis and practising yoga.
Elections to choose his successor are scheduled for September 9. The NDA has fielded Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan, while the opposition has nominated former Supreme Court judge B. Sudershan Reddy.
