Patna: The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Wednesday said former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi, wife of its founding president Lalu Prasad, will not vacate the government bungalow she has been occupying for two decades.
The party’s state unit chief, Mangani Lal Mandal, made the remark a day after the state building construction department issued a notification directing Rabri Devi to shift to 39, Hardinge Road, which has been "earmarked" as the residence of the leader of the opposition in the legislative council.
Talking to reporters, Mandal said 10, Circular Road, the bungalow situated right across the street from the Chief Minister's official residence 1, Anney Marg, "will not be vacated, come what may".
He alleged that "the decision smacks of malice the ruling NDA harbours for our leader Lalu Prasad. Why did Chief Minister Nitish Kumar wait for two decades before earmarking a government bungalow for the leader of the opposition in the legislative council? And if it was necessary, why did the government not earmark 10, Circular Road? They should have considered the fact that its occupants, Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi, have both served as chief ministers."
According to state minister Santosh Kumar Suman, the bungalow had been allotted to Rabri Devi in accordance with an earlier provision of a "life-long" residence for former chief ministers.
"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", said Suman.
Mandal insisted, "Nitish Kumar has taken the decision to curry favour with the BJP. The JD(U) supremo has been rattled by the aggression of his alliance partner, which has forced him to give up the Home portfolio he held so dear. So, 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".
The RJD leader added, "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. As per the Election Commission, we got more than one crore votes while the BJP, the NDA's largest constituent, got less than 90 lakh. So they better not try to belittle us".
Mandal, who was speaking after a party meeting that reviewed the RJD's dismal performance in the elections, which saw its tally crash to 25 from 75 five years earlier, added, "We did not lose the elections. It was the system that worked against us. We should consider ourselves as victors and not losers".
"Just look at the enormous resources BJP-led NDA had. Our leader Tejashwi Yadav had to put up against their fleet of helicopters and chartered plans, the large amount of money donated by big business houses. We must not think that we have lost", said Mandal.