'Old family ties': Dhankhar shifts to INLD leader Abhay Chautala's farmhouse in south Delhi
Dhankhar will stay at the farmhouse temporarily until he is allotted a Type-VIII residence
- Sep 1, 2025,
- Updated Sep 1, 2025 8:31 PM IST
Six weeks after resigning from his post, former vice-president Jagdeep Dhankhar has shifted out of his official residence and moved into a private farmhouse in south Delhi’s Chhatarpur, news agency PTI reported on Monday.
The farmhouse, located in the Gadaipur area, belongs to Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader Abhay Chautala. Confirming the move, Chautala said the arrangement reflected the family-like bond between the two. "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," Chautala said.
Dhankhar will stay at the farmhouse temporarily until he is allotted a Type-VIII residence, the category of official accommodation reserved for a former vice-president, officials told the news agency. However, the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry has not yet received a formal request from Dhankhar for such a bungalow.
Dhankhar shares a long political and personal association with the Chautala family. He was mentored by former deputy prime minister Devi Lal, and has often credited him for shaping his political career. At an event in Sirsa in March, Dhankhar had recalled, "I still remember the day when I first met Chaudhary Devi Lal ji in Jaipur... When he told me that I have to contest elections, I said that I am a pleader (lawyer). He told me to remove the 'P' and become a Leader." He added, "My political education, political initiation and political philosophy have come from Chaudhary Devi Lal."
Abhay Chautala underlined the closeness of their ties, saying, "We keep talking to each other at regular intervals. During one such interaction, this thing (house shifting) came up, and I told him that till his own house gets ready, it (Chhatarpur farmhouse) was also his own house and he need not go anywhere else."
Dhankhar resigned from the vice-presidency on July 21, the opening day of the Monsoon session, citing health reasons. Since stepping down, he has kept a low profile, spending time with his family, playing table tennis and practising yoga, according to those close to him.
An election to choose his successor is scheduled for September 9.
Six weeks after resigning from his post, former vice-president Jagdeep Dhankhar has shifted out of his official residence and moved into a private farmhouse in south Delhi’s Chhatarpur, news agency PTI reported on Monday.
The farmhouse, located in the Gadaipur area, belongs to Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader Abhay Chautala. Confirming the move, Chautala said the arrangement reflected the family-like bond between the two. "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," Chautala said.
Dhankhar will stay at the farmhouse temporarily until he is allotted a Type-VIII residence, the category of official accommodation reserved for a former vice-president, officials told the news agency. However, the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry has not yet received a formal request from Dhankhar for such a bungalow.
Dhankhar shares a long political and personal association with the Chautala family. He was mentored by former deputy prime minister Devi Lal, and has often credited him for shaping his political career. At an event in Sirsa in March, Dhankhar had recalled, "I still remember the day when I first met Chaudhary Devi Lal ji in Jaipur... When he told me that I have to contest elections, I said that I am a pleader (lawyer). He told me to remove the 'P' and become a Leader." He added, "My political education, political initiation and political philosophy have come from Chaudhary Devi Lal."
Abhay Chautala underlined the closeness of their ties, saying, "We keep talking to each other at regular intervals. During one such interaction, this thing (house shifting) came up, and I told him that till his own house gets ready, it (Chhatarpur farmhouse) was also his own house and he need not go anywhere else."
Dhankhar resigned from the vice-presidency on July 21, the opening day of the Monsoon session, citing health reasons. Since stepping down, he has kept a low profile, spending time with his family, playing table tennis and practising yoga, according to those close to him.
An election to choose his successor is scheduled for September 9.