End of an era: Nitish vacates 1 Anne Marg after two decades, becomes neighbour to Lalu, Rabri

The former chief minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar, moved from 1 Anne Marg to a new bungalow at 7 Circular Road here on Friday. He has now become a neighbour of former chief ministers Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi, who live barely 200 metres away at 10 Circular Road.

For about two decades, 1 Anne Marg remained the centre of power in Bihar, from where Nitish Kumar guided the state’s politics and administration. The residence will now serve as the official address of his successor, Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary.

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The bungalow at 7 Circular Road holds special significance for Nitish Kumar. In 2014, after the Lok Sabha election defeat, he stepped down as chief minister and appointed Jitan Ram Manjhi as his successor. At the time, he vacated 1 Anne Marg for Manjhi and moved into this very bungalow.

He later made a political comeback and returned to 1 Anne Marg after becoming chief minister again in 2015. However, he retained the 7 Circular Road bungalow and used it as the Chief Minister’s office.

In March, Nitish Kumar surprised many by expressing his desire to serve in the Rajya Sabha, having already been a member of the Lok Sabha as well as both Houses of the Bihar Legislature. After being elected to the Rajya Sabha, he resigned as chief minister of Bihar on April 14.

However, he has announced that he will spend most of his time in Bihar, guiding the new NDA government.