The Rashtriya Janata Dal said on Wednesday that Rabri Devi will not vacate her government bungalow. She has stayed in this house for nearly twenty years.

The party made this statement a day after the Building Construction Department ordered her to shift to 39, Hardinge Road. This house is set aside for the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council.

Mandal Stands Firm

RJD’s Bihar unit chief, Mangani Lal Mandal, took a strong stand. He told reporters that the bungalow at 10, Circular Road “will not be vacated, come what may."

Mandal accused the NDA of political hostility. He said the decision “smacks of malice the ruling NDA harbours for our leader Lalu Prasad."
He questioned Nitish Kumar’s timing.

Mandal asked why the chief minister waited two decades to assign a bungalow for the post. He said the government should have kept 10, Circular Road, as both Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi had served as chief ministers.

Government Defends Its Order

State minister Santosh Kumar Suman defended the move. He said the earlier allotment came from a rule that allowed former chief ministers to stay in government houses for life. “That provision had to be scrapped following an Allahabad High Court ruling a few years ago. In any case, we are not depriving Rabri Devi of the bungalow. Moreover, the government has the right to decide which bungalow should be allotted to whom," he said.

RJD Says Nitish Is Appeasing BJP

Mandal continued his attack. He said Nitish Kumar acted to please the BJP. “Nitish Kumar has taken the decision to curry favour with the BJP… knowing the BJP’s ill-will towards Lalu ji, Nitish Kumar has tried to appease Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ilk by insulting our leader," he said.

RJD Warns NDA

He warned the ruling alliance not to underestimate the party. “The ruling NDA should remember that we may be in the opposition, but in the recent assembly elections, we got more votes than any of its constituents… So they better not try to belittle us," Mandal said.

Mandal Calls Defeat Circumstantial

Mandal also spoke about the fall in seat numbers. The RJD dropped from 75 seats to 25. He denied a real defeat. “We did not lose the elections. It was the system that worked against us… We must not think that we have lost," he said. He claimed the BJP-led NDA had huge resources while the RJD had limited means.