Patna, Nov 27 : The Nitish government has allotted a new official residence to Rabri Devi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Legislative Council, but it is not as spacious as the 10 Circular Road bungalow.

RJD leaders argue it is not adequate for the entire family, which includes nine children and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav.

After the Bihar government sent an order to Rabri Devi to vacate the bungalow she had been residing in for a long time, a row erupted over the development, with the RJD calling it "an act of political vendetta". However, the JD(U) termed it as per norms.

The bungalow at 39 Hardinge Road is considered the second-largest among ministerial residences.

Yet, experts say it is not comparable to the much larger 10 Circular Road bungalow that the family currently occupies.

Notably, Rabri Devi's current residence is located directly opposite the Chief Minister's residence, whereas the new bungalow is 1.6 km away, signalling a symbolic distancing.

The Hardinge Road residence has previously been occupied by several leaders, including former ministers Ramsurat Rai, Samim Akhtar, Vinod Narayan Jha, and Chandramohan Rai.

Former occupants state that while the bungalow is more than sufficient for a regular family, it may fall short if Rabri Devi intends to accommodate her entire family, possibly compelling her to explore alternative arrangements.

The newly allotted residence includes a two-storeyed structure with six large bedrooms (three on each floor), a drawing room, dining area, a spacious hall, dedicated office space, separate staff quarters, servant areas, and security guard rooms.

The campus also features an extensive garden with a variety of trees, neem, peepal, amaltas, ashoka, mango, jamun, gulmohar, and oleander, and flowering plants including roses, marigolds, dahlias, harsingar, jasmine, and mogra. A kitchen garden setup is also available.

Political experts believe this decision is not purely administrative.

They assert that what did not occur in the last 20 years is now being done with clear "political messaging".

The move suggests that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has permanently distanced himself from the Lalu family and is unlikely to return to the RJD fold even if relations with the BJP were to strain in the future, political experts said.

The RJD, meanwhile, has dismissed the decision as an example of "revenge politics".

JD(U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said that Lalu was trapped in the web of illusions.

"It led to scams, which resulted in Lalu landing in jail. Now, he is caught in the want of a government bungalow," Neeraj Kumar claimed.

JD(U) National Spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan said the reallocation follows established norms.

"This is a prescribed procedure. The Central Government allocates residences according to position. For Rabri Devi, a new residence has been allotted," he said.

/IANS