Bihar BJP ex-mantris to be evicted

With Bihar’s former BJP ministers continuing to be adamant on not vacating their spacious ministerial bungalows till fresh accommodation was provided, the JD(U) government is considering plans to forcibly evict them even at the risk of another showdown with the saffron party. Despite chief minister and JD(U) stalwart Nitish Kumar being reportedly against the use of force to evict eight of the BJP’s total 11 former ministers who were served notices on August 18, officials of the building construction department hinted at preparations being made for such an exercise indeed. There is also no effort by the department to identify and allot alternative accommodation for the former ministers, who have adopted a defiant stance to stay put. The department is also planning to serve evacuation notices to two senior BJP ex-ministers — Sushil Kumar Modi and Nand Kishore Yadav — who were earlier spared. “The notices allowed the former ministers a week’s time, which expired on August 26. So we will follow the next course of action as per law,” said a senior official dealing with allotment of ministerial bungalows. Bihar building construction minister, Damodar Raut, gave similar indication by saying that “the law will take its own course”. He, however, said he expected the “former ministers, very senior and experienced leaders” would follow the rules.