Patna. The address of former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi has changed. Also, the residential address of Tejashwi Yadav and Lalu Yadav has also changed. All this has happened due to the allotment of new residence for Rabri Devi. She will have to vacate the bungalow at 10 Circular Road within the next 6 months. This means that the address of former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi is going to change and along with this the residence of Lalu Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav will also change. Nitish government has allotted Rabri Devi the new residence – 39 Harding Road, earmarked for the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council, but the controversy is not stopping. RJD has said that no matter what the government does, Rabri Devi will not vacate the bungalow.
Bungalow is big, but RJD has objection
Is the new bungalow bigger or is the controversy bigger?
The biggest question between the government’s statement and the opposition’s allegations is that why the opposition to shifting from a 1-acre bungalow to a 3-acre bungalow? On paper, the new residence is bigger, newer and more modern. It has facilities like 6 large bedrooms, two-storey main building, large hall, conference room, office space, staff area, security post, CCTV system, driver’s quarter and a well-maintained VVIP complex. The interior of the bungalow is completely renovated and the premises even have a large garden and kitchen plot with trees and plants like Neem, Peepal, Gulmohar, Amaltas and Mogra.
New address of Rabri Devi and Lalu Yadav in 39 Harding Road controversies. Dispute between RJD and Nitish government on bungalow allocation.
bangla upgrade or image downgrade?
This government residence at 39 Hardinge Road has previously been allotted to many ministers – Ramsurat Rai, Sameem Akhtar, Vinod Narayan Jha and Chandramohan Rai. If seen from political point of view, its location is also important. It is right in front of Bihar Assembly and about 800 meters from the Chief Minister’s residence, 1 Anne Marg. Earlier the Lalu family was about 300 meters away from the Chief Minister’s residence, that is, you can say that compared to earlier the distance has increased by only 500 meters i.e. half a kilometer. But, the question is, why did the politics of Bihar get shaken just because the government did just this – ‘change the house’?
After all, why is RJD angry?
Government minister Vijay Chaudhary says – This entire matter is a normal administrative process. There are five constitutional posts in Bihar. Four of them are already scheduled. For the fifth, accommodation is being given as per rules, the dispute is useless. But RJD’s statement is the opposite. Party’s Bihar President Manganilal Mandal claims that this is not just housing, it is a political message. The question is not whether the bungalow is big or small, but whether the political distance of the Lalu family is also being increased after the change of power? RJD is presenting it as a political ‘demotion’.
Rabri Devi will have to leave the bungalow at 10 Circular Road, the government housing rules have changed due to the decision of Patna High Court on the petition of Tejashwi Yadav.
Twist in the story-Court and Tejashwi Yadav
The interesting fact is that this entire housing rule was made during the tenure of Tejashwi Yadav when he was the Deputy Chief Minister, when he was the Deputy CM in the government. Later the High Court canceled the rule and new allocation started. Now the same judicial order has put the Lalu family in a position to leave the bungalow. While the opposition parties RJD and Congress are using this irony as a political weapon for themselves, the current ruling party is using it as a political weapon.
Is this just a bungalow dispute or a political signal?
If we look at political history, the relationship between Bengal and power has always been sensitive in Bihar. This is the reason why this dispute has not just become an issue of changing the bungalow, but an issue of political sentiments and prestige. The government is saying – follow the rules and shift, but RJD is saying – this is a political intention. At the same time, the question in the minds of the people of Bihar is – is this a government order to change the house or the first sign of politics beyond 2025?
