August 5, 2020: After evicting Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from her Lodhi Estate government bungalow, a move is afoot to remove the Congress from four Lutyens bungalows, including its 24 Akbar Road party headquarters.

The Directorate of Estates, under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, has resurrected a two-year-old proposal to evict the Congress from the four prime properties: 24 Akbar Road (which houses the All India Congress Committee headquarters since 1976), 26 Akbar Road (Congress’ Seva Dal office), 5 Raisina Road (Indian Youth Congress office) and CII/109 Chanakyapuri.

The directorate had first moved this proposal in 2018 and it had come before the Cabinet Committee on Accommodation (CCA) in March 2019. This was five months after the extension for 24 Akbar Road had also run out.

According to the sources, the Modi government did not take a final call right ahead of the 2019 parliamentary elections. Now, the directorate has moved a fresh proposal.

The eviction proceedings had first been initiated by the government in January 2015.

In 2018, the Congress had sought extension of the lease of 24 Akbar Road that had run out in October that year, people aware of the development said.

The Centre could also consider immediate eviction of the party from the other three properties (26 Akbar Road, 5 Raisina Road and CII/109) and giving more time for 24 Akbar Road.