After being denied Rajya Sabha re-nomination, Bihar JD(U) leader and Union Minister R.C.P. Singh now has to vacate his spacious bungalow in Patna, where he has been living for the last 12 years. Once a close confidante of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Mr. Singh is believed to have fallen from grace after he joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Cabinet in July 2021.
Recently, after much flip-flop, Mr. Singh was dropped from the list of JD(U) for re-nomination to the Rajya Sabha. The party announced name of Jharkhand State president Khiru Mahto instead. A former IAS officer, Mr. Singh has been with Nitish Kumar in various capacities for over 25 years.
In July 2021, Mr. Singh had taken oath as Union Steel Minister. Mr Kumar, said party sources, was upset with Mr. Singh for joining the Union Cabinet despite his displeasure and eventually both leaders fell out. Mr. Singh, it is said, drew close to the BJP, which is JD(U)‘s partner in the ruling alliance.
Mr. Singh was living in 7, Strand Road, close to Nitish Kumar’s official residence, 1, Anne Marg, though it was officially allotted to another JD(U) leader and the Chief Minister’s close aide, Sanjay Gandhi. The bungalow has now been allotted to the State’s Chief Secretary Amir Subhani. Mr. Gandhi has been allotted another bungalow as the party’s chief whip with Cabinet rank.
The Chief Minister is at present staying at 7, Circular Road bungalow, as renovation work is going on at 1, Anne Marg.
Party sources, meanwhile, told The Hindu that Mr Kumar was upset with Mr Singh for getting close to the BJP and meeting its leaders who were “indulging in anti-party activities”. “How can a party leader indulge in anti-party activities living close to the Chief Minister’s bungalow? Who will tolerate this?”, asked a senior JD(U) leader.
However, Mr. Singh, speaking to media persons earlier, said there were no differences between him and his party leader. “This has been a 25-year-long relationship... My party leader must have thought something better than RS seat for me,” he had said.
Ever since Mr. Singh was denied RS seat recently, both the leaders have been seen avoiding each other at social and official functions in Patna.
