Sofas, water taps, wash basins, air conditioners, lights, beds are missing from the official bungalow vacated by Tejashwi Yadav, claims the BJP, suggesting that the items have been “stolen”. The Rashtriya Janata Dal or RJD, Tejashwi Yadav’s party, has hit back asking the BJP to release the inventory.

The development comes days ahead of Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary moving into the bungalow at 5 Deshratan Road in Patna previously held by Tejashwi Yadav. Mr Chaudhary will move into the new house on the auspicious occasion of Vijayadashami.

“We are bringing to light how the Deputy Chief Minister’s house has been robbed of its belongings. When Sushil Modi had shifted to this house, there were two hydraulic beds, there were sofa sets for guests and this was for everywhere to see, including the press. All those things are missing,” Shatrughan Prasad, Personal Secretary of Samrat Chaudhary, told news agency IANS. 

“More than 20 split ACs are missing. There is no computer or chair in the operating room. There is no fridge or RO in the kitchen. Lights have been snatched from the walls,” he added.

The RJD, in its defence, asked the BJP to get the Bhawan Nirman Vibhag to release the inventory, failing which they should apologise. 

“The leader of opposition in Bihar assembly has vacated the 5 Deshratan Marg bungalow. The Bhawan Nirman Vibhag must release the inventory. We have all the evidence. Our people, along with media, were also making a video. We challenge you to release the inventory or apologise if you can’t do that,” said Shakti Yadav, national spokesperson, RJD.

Jumping into the controversy, Union Minister Giriraj Singh, who represents Begusarai in Bihar, also slammed the RJD leadership and demanded a detailed probe to establish the scale of ‘theft’ at the Deputy Chief Minister’s residence.

“Samrat Chaudhary has been allotted this bungalow and was to shift to this house in Navratri. Essentials such as wash basins, water taps, and furniture are missing. The hydraulic bed has been taken away. The mat in the badminton court has been taken away. The gym is empty, there are no exercise machines. Foundation’s lights have been taken off,” claimed Danish Iqbal, Bihar BJP’s Media In-charge, who also inspected the premises.

The BJP — long used to playing the supporting role to Nitish Kumar in Bihar —  has taken the lead for the first time and will spearhead the NDA attack in the state. The party will contest 17 of the state’s 40 seats, under a formula that was finalised today after the impasse with Chirag Paswan’s faction of the Lok Janshakti Party was resolved.

Mr Kumar’s Janata Dal United will field candidates on 16 seats, Chirag Paswan’s LJP will contest on five seats, Upendra Kushwaha and Jitan Ram Manjhi will contest on one seat each.

Chirag Paswan’s deal with the BJP came after a long impasse that was followed by claims that the Opposition bloc INDIA has been sending it feelers.  

While the BJP apparently offered him just six seats — to be split with his uncle Pashupati Paras — sources said the Opposition had offered LJP eight seats, all six it won in 2019 and two more in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh as bonus.

Chirag Paswan, who recently claimed that “Every Party, Every Coalition Wants Me To Be On Its Side,” settled for five seats today. But he made it clear after the meeting that his uncle Pashupati Paras would not be given any seat from his quota.

But sealing the deal is a huge plus for the BJP, which from a position of isolation imposed by Nitish Kumar’s defection to the  Grand Alliance, has suddenly found itself rich with his return.

But the party has made it clear that it was second to none — the one extra seat marking it as the alpha in the alliance.  

Even in 2019, the BJP and the JDU, after a silent and bitter face-off, had decided on a 50:50 formula and contested on an equal number of seats. The division was 17 seats each for the BJP and Mr Kumar’s Janata Dal United and six for Lok Janashakti Party, then led by Chirag Paswan’s father Ram Vilas Paswan.

The alliance had won 39 of the 40 seats — only one had gone to the Opposition.