It is no undeniable fact that YSR Congress party president and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy had built the palatial bungalows on picturesque Rushikonda hills abutting sea in Viskahapatnam.
He was hoping that he would come back to power in 2024 assembly elections and make the Rushikonda palace his official bungalow-cum-camp office since he wanted to develop Visakhapatnam as the executive capital of the state.
But Jagan lost the elections miserably and all his dreams of staying the magnificent Rushikonda palace were shattered. He did not stay there even for an hour, though the palace was opened during his regime itself.
The newly-formed coalition government headed by Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu is still not able to decide how to utilise the Rushikonda palace even after nine months of coming to power. The palace has just left abandoned, though well maintained.
But for the media, the Rushikonda palace is still considered a Jagan’s dreamhouse, as if it is his personal property.
And the national media has gone a step ahead and is trying to project it as Jagan’s Sheeshmahal, while drawing comparison with “Sheeshmahal,” the official bungalow of former chief minister of Delhi and Aam Admi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal.
Almost nine months after Jagan’s lost power, the national media on Friday once again showed the palatial bungalow on Rushikonda, just to compare with Kejriwal’s palace.
The channels described it as Jagan’s sea-facing bungalow as if it is still his personal property.
The channels showed old video footage of Rushikonda palace, saying that it was Jagan Mohan Reddy's new magnificent mansion built on sprawling 10-acre area and features extravagant interiors with gold embellishments, Italian marble flooring, plush furnishings, glowing chandeliers, and large bathtubs.
The visuals shared by the channels show robust infrastructure around the house including paved roads and drainage system, bulk water supply, and a 100 KV power substation for continuous electricity supply. The channels said the mansion was built at a cost of Rs 500 crores.
Drawing another comparison with Kejriwal’s Sheeshmahal in Delhi, the channels said chief minister Chandrababu Naidu has now sought opening the house for public, something that BJP had sought during Kejriwal's government in Delhi.
Unfortunately, Jagan did not stay there even for an hour; so, it is unfair to call Rushikonda palace as his “Sheeshmahal,” whereas Kejriwal had been staying in his palatial bungalow for several years!
