But Vinod seems to have lost out in the battle to one-up his predecessor in Parliament from Bollywood. He has been allotted a house which nobody else wants 17, Balwant Rai Mehta Lane. Though the house falls under the same category (Type VI) as Rajesh's house, the location makes it unwanted. Nine MPs had rejected the house before it was allotted to Vinod. ``These houses were a part of what was called the Unorthodox Clerk's Quarters during the time of the British. Due to the unkempt condition most of them are in, especially house number 17, nobody wants to live there,'' said a senior Urban Affairs Ministry official.

The entire lane is lined with clothesleft to dry -- not just on the clotheslines but also in the middle of the road. Most houses on the lane are occupied either by Government servants or officials of the Armed Forces. House number 17 is in a dilapidated state with leaking roof, thick rusted drain pipes jutting out and peeling paint.

``We tried our best to get a suitable house for Vinod. We requested Jethmalaniji and Vinod met him in his office along with his wife,'' a BJP Union Minister said.