Rs 67 Crore For Bungalow? Hemant Soren At Centre Of "Sheesh Mahal" Row

First, Delhi. Now, Jharkhand.

The building of a new chief minister's bungalow in Jharkhand has kicked up another "Sheesh Mahal" row. The BJP has compared Hemant Soren's proposed new bungalow to Arvind Kejriwal's refurbished Delhi home nicknamed "Sheesh Mahal" to highlight alleged corruption by the Aam Aadmi Party.

Hemant Soren's bungalow is to be built at an estimated cost of Rs 67 crore.

The BJP has termed the exercise a waste of public money, while the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, or JMM, defended it as an essential infrastructure project related to administration and security.

On March 25, the state government sought quotations for the construction of the Chief Minister's residence at Kanke Road in Ranchi.

The government has said the tender would be published on the website on April 2, followed by a pre-bid meeting on April 8. The last date for submission of bids is April 29, and the bids will be opened on April 30.

The foundation stone for this new Chief Minister's residence was laid on May 12 last year. On that day, Hemant Soren, accompanied by his wife MLA Kalpana Soren, performed rituals and prayers at the Chief Minister's residential complex.

A new and grand complex is being constructed on the very same site after demolishing the old British-era residence.

The government states that the old building had fallen into a severely dilapidated state and was no longer suitable for modern requirements; consequently, the construction of a new residence became a necessity.

According to the government, this new residence will feature modern security systems, ample space for meetings and administrative operations, and essential amenities.

The government argues that this residence is being constructed not solely for Hemant Soren, but for the use of all future Chief Ministers as well.

However, the opposition continues to raise questions regarding this project. BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition Babulal Marandi has alleged that the Hemant Soren government is constructing a "Sheesh Mahal" (palace of mirrors) for itself using the public's hard-earned money.

He argues that whenever funds are required to provide jobs to the youth, grant scholarships to students, or develop tribal villages, the government cites a shortage of funds as an excuse. Yet, when it comes to the Chief Minister's residence, crores of rupees are spent without hesitation, he claimed.

Babulal Marandi even compared this new residence to the Delhi Chief Minister's alleged "Sheesh Mahal," stating that this government has failed to undertake any concrete work regarding its electoral promises and "seven guarantees." According to him, the state's priority should be to resolve the problems faced by the common people, rather than constructing expensive buildings for politicians.

On the other hand, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha has termed these allegations as politically motivated.

The party's General Secretary, Supriyo Bhattacharya, stated that this is not a matter of personal luxury, but rather an essential administrative project.

He remarked that when the opposition itself is in power, such large-scale projects are hailed as symbols of development, adding, however, the moment they move into the opposition, those very same initiatives are labeled as wasteful expenditure.

The JMM further asserted that it is not just a Chief Minister's residence, meetings with officials are held there, security agencies maintain a presence, and various government programs are also organized on the premises, underscoring the need for a better building.

It is essential to have a well-organised, secure complex equipped with modern amenities to ensure the smooth functioning of governance and administration, the JMM said.

Political analysts say that this dispute is not merely about the construction of a building, it is also intertwined with political messaging and public sentiment.

The Opposition is raising this issue among the public to demonstrate that the government is engaging in wasteful expenditure, whereas the government is presenting it as a matter of development and administrative necessity.