PATNA: Bihar chief minister Samrat Choudhary on Tuesday lashed out at senior Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Rabri Devi for not vacating her government bungalow at 10 Circular Road even after a final order issued by the government, and said that nobody should treat an official bungalow as ‘Bapauti’ (inherited property).
Choudhary referred to the tiff without mentioning the opposition party or its leaders by name and remarked, "It is not a monarchy...The mother wants one house, and the son desires another."
Taking a tough stance on the issue, the chief minister said that some people have developed an excessive attachment to government bungalows despite the fact that they are not their personal property.
He also took a strong exception to Rabri’s statement that she would not vacate 10 Circular Road bungalow at any cost. Sharpening his attack on the RJD family, Choudhary said, “Both son and mother (read Rabri and Tejashwi) want separate houses for themselves. Some individuals are only concerned about occupying bungalows at all costs. On the other hand, I served as a minister several times—even as Bihar's home minister- yet I lived in a 2,400-square-foot residence."
The chief minister further recounted, "When I moved into the chief minister's official residence, I instructed that a signboard be placed outside declaring: 'This is the residence of Lok Sevak.' No one holds an ancestral claim over this place.” He continued, "I entered the government as a minister in 1999; this is my eleventh residence. Some people harbour an attachment to these homes—the son wants a separate house, and the mother wants a separate house—while completely disregarding the public."
Meanwhile, former CM Nitish Kumar summoned the state building construction department minister, Leshi Singh, in this connection.
Sources claimed that Nitish Kumar sought comprehensive details from Leshi Singh regarding the eviction of the Rabri residence. Subsequently, full details regarding the bungalow dispute were also shared with Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Chaudhary.
Following her meeting with former CM Nitish Kumar, minister Leshi Singh stated, "I have provided him with all the necessary information. Some political discussions also took place. Many topics were discussed, the details of which are not appropriate to share with the media."
When asked why Tej Pratap Yadav—who is neither an MLA nor an MLC, - continues to occupy government accommodation, and whether his residence would be vacated, the minister sought to evade a reply by contending that everything proceeded according to established rules and procedures.
The Samrat government has issued a 15-day ultimatum to the Lalu family to vacate the government residence located at 10 Circular Road. An order regarding the vacation of the residence was originally issued on November 25, 2025; however, the Lalu family has yet to vacate the bungalow.
Consequently, adopting a stricter stance once again, the government has now issued a 15-day ultimatum. RJD chief Lalu Yadav, Rabri Devi, and Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav live at 10, Circular Road presently.
In addition to Rabri Devi, notices were also sent to legislators who had lost their seats, instructing them to vacate their government bungalows.
An official from the building construction department issued these notices.
The bungalow located at 39 Hardinge Road has been allotted to Rabri Devi. According to the building construction department, the government residence situated at 39 Hardinge Road was officially allotted to Rabri Devi last year.
This residence has already been formally allotted in Rabri Devi's name.
Despite this, she has not yet vacated the previously allotted residence at 10 Circular Road. The Lalu family has been residing in the 10 Circular Road bungalow since 2005.
Over the past six months, Rabri Devi has been requested two or three times to move into the newly allotted bungalow at 39 Hardinge Road. However, the Lalu family has still not vacated the current residence. Rabri Devi recently declared: "Call in the forces; we will not vacate the bungalow."
