Showdown between Bihar govt, Opposition imminent as Rabri Devi served with eviction notice

Patna: A major showdown is inevitable between the newly-elected NDA government in Bihar and the RJD-led Opposition on the issue of eviction order issued to former Chief Minister Rabri Devi wherein she has been asked to vacate her official bungalow – 10, Circular Road and move to another house – 39, Harding Road.

The move comes close on the heels of Nitish Kumar assuming chief-ministership for the fifth consecutive term.

The eviction notice, issued by the Building Construction Department, has allotted a new house to Rabri Devi, but sources in the RJD on Wednesday said the former CM is unlikely to vacate the house.

“Jo karna hai, sarkar kar le. Rabri Devi ghar nahi khali karengi, (Do whatever the government feels like doing, but Rabri Devi won’t vacate the house),” said RJD’s State president Mangni Lal Mandal.

Logical reasoning

Ex minister Mandal said Rabri was allotted 10, Circular Road residence in her capacity as the former Chief Minister soon after Nitish Kumar became CM in November 2005.

“She is also the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council and enjoys the Cabinet rank. Besides, another Chief Minister of Bihar and her husband Lalu Prasad too stays in the same house with other family members for the last 20 years. Under such a backdrop, it’s beyond comprehension how can the Nitish Government ask Rabri to vacate her house and move to a new one,” wondered Mandal.

“Either the NDA government is jealous of Lalu-Rabri, or the move is just to harass the two former CMs, who've given voice to the poor,” the Bihar RJD chief added, reiterating that Rabri was unlikely to vacate 10, Circular Road residence in Patna.

“She is living here in her capacity as former CM as well as Leader of the Opposition in the legislative Council. I can’t fathom how she has been asked to vacate the house,” said former Parliamentary Affairs Minister Abdul Bari Siddiqui, adding that such a move was not even witnessed when RJD scored its poorest performance and won merely 22 seats during the 2010 elections.

“The new house allotted to Rabri Devi at 39, Harding Road is more spacious and will suit her,” said the Building Construction Minister Vijay Choudhary, whose department has also issued an eviction notice to Rabri’s elder son Tej Pratap, who has lost the Assembly poll.

"You can evict Lalu Prasad from the house. But how will you evict him from the hearts of crores of poor,” wrote Lalu’s daughter Rohini Acharya in a Hindi post on social media.