Nitish Kumar is relocating to the Chief Minister's official residence.
Patna:
Nitish Kumar, chastened by a recent Supreme Court order, is relocating to a house he knows well - the official home of the Chief Minister of Bihar.
Two years ago, Mr Kumar moved out of the house, which covers two acres in the heart of Patna, when he quit his job as penalty for his party's demolition in the general election.
He was replaced in office and in his home by Jitan Ram Manjhi, then 70 years old. Ahead of the election last year, Mr Manjhi refused to exit both as directed by the Janata Dal United or JDU, which wanted Mr Kumar to frontline the party's campaign for the state.
After he won the election, Mr Kumar chose to remain in the large bungalow he had moved into while he was not chief minister. Mr Manjhi vacated the official home assigned to the head of Bihar about a year ago. It had been vacant ever since.
Last week, the Supreme Court ruled that state-owned homes occupied by former chief ministers must be vacated within three months. Since Mr Kumar was ensconced in one such house, he was obliged to change his address.
Sources say that the house he has left may be formally converted into an office for the Bihar Vikas Mission, a large scheme involving nearly 100 bureaucrats and 1,000 professionals that's tasked with implementing a major campaign promise of the Chief Minister -the rapid development and modernization of one of India's most backward states.
Two years ago, Mr Kumar moved out of the house, which covers two acres in the heart of Patna, when he quit his job as penalty for his party's demolition in the general election.
He was replaced in office and in his home by Jitan Ram Manjhi, then 70 years old. Ahead of the election last year, Mr Manjhi refused to exit both as directed by the Janata Dal United or JDU, which wanted Mr Kumar to frontline the party's campaign for the state.
After he won the election, Mr Kumar chose to remain in the large bungalow he had moved into while he was not chief minister. Mr Manjhi vacated the official home assigned to the head of Bihar about a year ago. It had been vacant ever since.
Last week, the Supreme Court ruled that state-owned homes occupied by former chief ministers must be vacated within three months. Since Mr Kumar was ensconced in one such house, he was obliged to change his address.
Sources say that the house he has left may be formally converted into an office for the Bihar Vikas Mission, a large scheme involving nearly 100 bureaucrats and 1,000 professionals that's tasked with implementing a major campaign promise of the Chief Minister -the rapid development and modernization of one of India's most backward states.
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