Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Rabri Devi.
| Photo Credit: ANI
Citing the poor health of her husband, Lalu Prasad, as the reason, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi on Tuesday (June 16, 2026) wrote to the State government seeking more time to vacate her official residence at 10, Circular Road. The Bihar government had earlier served notices to Ms. Devi to vacate the residence, where she has been living with family members, including Mr. Prasad, for over two decades. Ms. Devi had earlier dared the government to evict her from the residence using “force”.
The Bihar government had recently allotted another official residence at 39, Harding Road to Ms. Devi, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the State Legislative Council. Her current residence at 10, Circular Road has been allotted to Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Resources Minister Nand Kishor Ram in Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary’s Cabinet. Mr. Ram had earlier alleged that the residence allotted to him was not being vacated because he was a Dalit. Mr. Choudhary had recently asserted, though without taking any name, that the “official residence has to be vacated at any cost”. The latest notice giving Ms. Devi 15 days to vacate the residence expired on June 15.
“On the advice of the doctors, a separate room has been arranged for her husband Lalu Prasad at the 10, Circular Road residence to avoid any infection,” Ms. Devi wrote in the letter, adding that she was ready to shift to the new residence “once similar arrangement of a separate room for Lalu Prasad was made there at 39 Harding Road residence too which was allotted to her”.
Mr. Prasad underwent a kidney transplant in Singapore in December 2022 and has since required special medical attention. He meets fewer people and travels to Singapore periodically for medical check-ups. He recently returned from there after undergoing medical attention. His second daughter, Rohini Acharya, who donated one of her kidneys to him, lives in Singapore with her family. Earlier, in 2014, Mr. Prasad had also undergone heart surgery at a hospital in Mumbai.
Ever since Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar became Chief Minister of Bihar in November 2005, Ms. Devi had been living at the official residence at 10, Circular Road with her family. However, after Bihar got its first BJP Chief Minister, Samrat Choudhary, she was served notices to vacate the residence and was allotted a new one. Mr. Choudhary had recently asserted at a programme, without taking any name, that the “bungalow has to be vacated at any cost”. The notice served to Ms. Devi on May 31, 2026, gave her 15 days to vacate the residence, a deadline that expired on June 15. Earlier, two notices had also been served to her.
Apparently infuriated by the notices, Ms. Devi had recently dared the State government to evict her from the residence using “force”. The next day, a police contingent reached her residence but later returned. RJD leaders and workers, however, said Ms. Devi would not vacate the residence as “two former Chief Ministers of the State live there”.
On June 15, the State government allotted the sprawling 5, Deshratna Marg government bungalow to Nishant Kumar, son of former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and a Health Minister in Mr. Choudhary’s Cabinet. Earlier, Mr. Choudhary had lived in the bungalow when he was Deputy Chief Minister in the previous NDA government.
Mr. Nishant Kumar was previously assigned the official residence at 2, Deshratna Marg. Following a fresh reallocation order issued on June 15, he was allotted the sprawling 5, Deshratna Marg residence, which is traditionally designated as the Deputy Chief Minister’s residence. Earlier, during the Grand Alliance (Mahagathbandhan) government in the State, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav had also lived at the 5, Deshratna Marg bungalow as Deputy Chief Minister.
Published – June 16, 2026 06:22 pm IST
