Nitish Kumar walked out of the Grand Alliance coalition last year. (File)
Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav on Tuesday criticised Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for having two bungalows allotted in his name in the state capital in addition to another in New Delhi.
The ruling Janata Dal (United) hit back at the leader of the opposition in the state assembly pointing out that he was yet to vacate the bungalow allotted to him while he was the Deputy Chief Minister, despite having lost the chair several months ago.
"Both Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi are former Chief Ministers. Yet they shared the same bungalow. On the other hand Nitish Kumar is occupying two - one allotted when he was a former CM and another in his capacity as the incumbent", Mr Yadav said in a tweet.
Mr Kumar had shifted to a bungalow in Circular Road, adjacent to the official CM residence 1, Anney Marg, after he stepped down in the wake of the drubbing received by the JD(U) in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
Mr Yadav also questioned the allotment of a bungalow to Mr Kumar in the national capital in his capacity as the Bihar Chief Minister as also Z-plus security cover and alleged "Nitish has struck a deal (with the Centre) wherein he has given up the demand for special status for Bihar in exchange for a special residence and special security".
Mr Yadav also took potshots at deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, saying "he had written a strong letter to Nitish last year asking why he was occupying two palatial bungalows in Patna. Does he have the guts to write another letter to the CM for the third bungalow he has got in New Delhi".
Hitting back at the RJD heir apparent, JD(U) spokesman and MLC Sanjay Singh said in a statement "you became the Deputy CM earlier, depriving many more deserving people in your party of the opportunity. After your party seized to share power, you have become the leader of the opposition".
"It is the hunger for facilities like bungalows which leads your family to grab important posts.....Nitish is known across the country. He fully deserves the facilities he is entitled to as per protocol. Chief Ministers of all states have been allotted bungalows in Delhi so has been our CM," Singh said.
Mr Kumar had returned to power after the 2015 assembly polls which he fought as part of the Grand Alliance formed along with the RJD, headed by Mr Yadav's father Lalu Prasad, and the Congress.
He walked out of the coalition in July last year following corruption cases against Mr Yadav and formed a new government with the BJP.