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Despite having his own private residences in and around NCR, Jagdeep Dhankhar chose Chautala’s farmhouse citing security considerations, News18 has learned
Jagdeep Dhankhar was also given a reception at Chautala’s bungalow. (PTI File)
In an unprecedented and unconventional move, former Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday shifted to the farmhouse of INLD leader Abhay Chautala in Delhi, sidestepping the long-held tradition of former constitutional heads being allotted government accommodation.
Despite having his own private residences in and around NCR, Dhankhar chose Chautala’s farmhouse citing security considerations, News18 has learned.
Dhankhar was also given a reception at Chautala’s bungalow. His new security team has already taken charge of the premises. A few of his team, including his OSDs have moved with him while some of his officially attached officers would be shifting to their own arrangements. The VP enclave stands emty now until the newly elected VP moves in.
The development is apparently unusual on several counts.
By convention, former Vice-Presidents, Presidents, and Prime Ministers are allotted a Type VIII bungalow or, alternatively, a two-acre plot as official accommodation once they demit office. However, sources in the government said that the former VP needed to put a formal requisition for that mentioning his desired location and choice either for a bungalow or a plot.
In Dhankhar’s case, there has been no such formal allotment notified to his office, nor has his office made a formal request to the government. Sources within the establishment confirm that no communication has been initiated from either side, neither has the government offered an option on paper, nor has Dhankhar’s office raised a requisition.
For now, Dhankhar’s decision to move into Chautala’s property adds a political undertone as well to what might otherwise have been seen as a procedural delay. According to those familiar with the matter, Abhay Chautala personally reached out to the former VP, offering his farmhouse as a temporary residence. The gesture, observers suggest, carries layered symbolism, not just as a mark of political camaraderie but also as a statement of shared Jat identity and unity in the community. Dhankhar, who hails from Rajasthan, has often highlighted his roots in the Jat community, while Chautala, as a senior INLD leader, remains one of the most prominent Jat political figures in Haryana.
The optics of this move are bound to be read beyond the immediate question of accommodation. For the government, the absence of communication on an issue governed by decades-old convention raises eyebrows. Sources in the government also pointed out that this is unprecedented in many ways as there has been no such instance earlier.
For Dhankhar, accepting Chautala’s offer embeds him in a sociopolitical narrative that goes beyond logistics. In Delhi’s power corridors, residences have often been symbolic, which are seen as markers of status, clout, or political messaging. The silence from both sides seems to be highly significant.
Madhuparna Das, Associate Editor (policy) at CNN News 18, has been in journalism for nearly 14 years. She has extensively been covering politics, policy, crime and internal security issues. She has covered Naxa…Read More
Madhuparna Das, Associate Editor (policy) at CNN News 18, has been in journalism for nearly 14 years. She has extensively been covering politics, policy, crime and internal security issues. She has covered Naxa… Read More
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