Patna HC asks RLJP to vacate 1 Wheeler Road Bungalow by Nov 13

Patna, Oct 30 (IANS) The Patna High Court has ruled that the Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP) must vacate the bungalow it occupies at 1 Wheeler Road, by November 13.

The order follows a notice from Bihar’s Building Construction Department directing RLJP to vacate the property by October 30.

This bungalow was originally allotted to the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) led by Ram Vilas Paswan in 2006.

Ambika Prasad, the RLJP's state Vice President, sought a stay on the eviction order, but after a weak case presentation, his legal representative, Senior Advocate Y.V. Giri decided to withdraw the petition.

The hearing was held on Tuesday evening.

Bihar's Solicitor General, P.K. Shahi, argued on behalf of the state, asserting that the RLJP had no legal claim to the property.

Consequently, Justice Mohit Kumar Shah upheld the eviction order, mandating the RLJP’s departure by November 13, though the court noted that the party could apply to the department for a new bungalow allocation if needed.

The Bihar Government’s Building Construction Department had ordered RLJP led by former union minister Pashupati Kumar Paras to vacate the government bungalow in Patna within seven days on October 22.

This bungalow, situated on 1 Wheeler Road, was originally allocated to the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) in 2006.

Following the party's split in 2021, Pashupati Kumar Paras, leader of the RLJP, claimed the residence, asserting that five MPs supported his faction.

The RLJP subsequently became part of the alliance in the Modi government's second tenure at the Centre.

However, recent political shifts, particularly the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, impacted this arrangement.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) allotted five seats to Chirag Paswan’s faction, the Lok Janshakti Party Ram Vilas (LJPRV), all of which were successfully won by the party.

LJPRV, now an alliance partner with the BJP in the Modi government, also saw Chirag Paswan appointed as a Union Minister, adding further legitimacy to his faction over the RLJP in political terms.