Akhilesh Yadav vacates bungalow, Mayawati accuses Uttar Pradesh government of spreading canard

The BSP chief accused the ruling BJP of spearheading a smear campaign against her through media by planting stories of her reluctance to vacate the property.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav (Left) and BSP supremo Mayawati (Right)

LUCKNOW: Just a day ahead of deadline to vacate government bungalows in compliance of Supreme court order, two former CMs – Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati -- vacated their respective residences on Saturday.

While Akhilesh shifted to a government VVIP guest house handing over the possession of his 4, Vikramaditya Marg, to UP estate department while BSP chief Mayawati sprang a surprise by vacating the portion of 13 A Mall Avenue in which she had been staying for years. The BSP chief shifted to her posh and even more opulent private property – 9, Mall Avenue—situated opposite to 13 A Mall Avenue.

In the wake of the reluctance of the BSP chief to vacate 13 A Mall avenue on the pretext of it being Kanshiram Memorial, as the state government was contemplating to serve another eviction notice to her, she convened a press conference, on late Saturday evening, to announce that she was vacating only the portion she was occupying in the property.

"Today, I am also vacating the portion at the Kanshi Ram Memorial where I was staying. But the property would continue to be a memorial and it is the responsibility of the Uttar Pradesh government to maintain it and ensure its security,” she maintained. Striking an emotional note, she shared that Kanshi Ram used to stay in the bungalow whenever in Lucknow.

Accusing ruling BJP of spearheading a smear campaign against her through media by planting stories of her reluctance to vacate the property, the BSP chief claimed that it was BJP’s a tactic to divert attention from its back to back defeats first in Gorakhpur and Phulpur and then in Kairana and Noorpur. “The countdown of this government which has failed on all fronts has begun,” asserted Mayawati.

However, before handing over the possession of her portion of 13 A Mall Avenue, Mayawati took the media persons on a tour of the palatial five-acre, 10-bedroom bungalow. Studded with Rajasthan sandstone and pink marble, most of the rooms were part of the memorial. She also showed the portion she was occupying on the premises.

Besides galleries of murals, rows of elephant statues all across the premises, a number of fountains, a colony of outhouses, underground parking facility, moving golf carts to go from one portion of the bungalow to other and a number of well-manicured lawns were worth a sight behind the huge gate of 13A Mall Avenue.

Notably, Mayawati had surrendered 6 LBS Marg bungalow two days ago. Reluctant to vacate the sprawling five-acre property, Mayawati had claimed that 13 A Mall Avenue was converted into Kanshiram Memorial guest house in 2011 while 6, LBS Marg bungalow was allotted to her after she demitted office in 2012.

Moreover, two days after receiving the eviction notice for 13 A Mall Avenue, a board of Kanshiram Memorial Guest House had popped up on the bungalow on May 21.

However, the deadline for eviction of government properties allotted to former CMs expires on Sunday.