Former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi was allotted a new residence by the newly inducted Nitish Kumar government on 25 November. The decision would require the RJD leader to vacate the bungalow on 10 Circular Road, which she had been occupying for several years.
Rabri Devi has been allotted 39, Hardinge Road, according to a notification issued by the state’s building construction department. 10 Circular Road, where she has been living since 2005, is situated close to the Bihar CM’s residence and the Raj Bhavan.
The property has served as a hub for the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), hosting key meetings and discussions. Rabri Devi has been living here with her husband, RJD president and former CM Lalu Prasad , after stepping down as chief minister. She has been the Leader of the Opposition in the State’s Legislative Council for a long time.
The building construction portfolio is held by senior JD(U) leader Vijay Kumar Chaudhary.
But why is the ex-CM asked to vacate her residence? The new allotment has been in accordance with a 2019 Patna High Court ruling, which had quashed “lifetime bungalow allocations for former Chief Ministers as misuse of public funds”.
The court had issued notices to the state government and affected ex-CMs, including Satish Prasad Singh, Jagannath Mishra, Jitan Ram Manjhi and Rabri Devi, ordering them to vacate. Prior to this, a bungalow previously occupied by Nitish Kumar , as a former CM, was reassigned to the chief secretary.
The 2019 decision compelled several former chief ministers to relinquish their residences, underscoring concerns about taxpayer-funded privileges for retired politicians. Rabri Devi’s 10 Circular Road allotment was subsequently reframed under her role as leader of the opposition, allowing her to retain it until now.
BJP spokesman Neeraj Kumar told news agency PTI that the family is being asked to vacate the house in accordance with the rules. “Given their past track record, a keen watch will be kept, and it will be ensured that no harm is done to government property,” he said.
The timing of the eviction notice coincides with the National Democratic Alliance’s dominant performance in the 2025 Bihar assembly elections, wherein the alliance secured 202 out of 243 seats. Nitish Kumar, when his party, Janata Dal United, was the senior alliance partner, never visited the Lalu family’s 10 Circular Road address. But the alliance dynamics have changed now. In the 2025 polls, the BJP emerged as the single largest party, bagging 89 seats.
“The minister for building construction is a sensible man. But, the decision shows the influence the BJP has come to exercise over 1, Anney Marg (the CM’s official residence),” RJD spokesman Shakti Yadav told news agency PTI.
Allegation against Tejashwi
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, also a former deputy CM, had faced accusations of having taken away several items from 5, Deshratna Marg, which he had occupied till the party shared power in Bihar.
According to another notification issued by the department, Rabri Devi’s elder son, Tej Pratap Yadav, is also set to lose the bungalow he has been occupying since the days he was a minister.
Two other notifications list the bungalows allotted to all the ministers in the newly formed cabinet.
One of these, which was till now occupied by Tej Pratap Yadav, has been allotted to Lakhendra Kumar Raushan, the minister for the SC and ST welfare department.
Given their past track record, a keen watch will be kept, and it will be ensured that no harm is done to government property.
In recent polls, Tej Pratap, who founded the Janshakti Janata Dal after being expelled from the RJD by his father earlier this year, failed to get re-elected to the state assembly.
