PATNA, June 16 -- The long-running dispute over the 10, Circular Road bungalow occupied by former chief minister Rabri Devi has eased, with the building construction department (BCD) deciding against any forceful eviction after she consented to move to an alternative residence at 39, Hardinge Road, officials said on Monday. Joint secretary-cum-estate officer Sheo Ranjan confirmed that the department would wait for the transition to happen smoothly. "There is no need to hurry, as she had given the same (to shift to new bungalow) in writing," he said. The vacating of the bungalow has become a flashpoint between the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leadership and the leaders from the ruling NDA. As Rabri refused to move from the residence following the third eviction notice served by the BCD two weeks back, RJD leaders rallied behind her leader and dared government to use force to evict their leader. On Monday, as the news of her agreeing to vacate the bungalow spread, RJD chief spokesman and former MLA Shakti Singh Yadav said that they had to lie low after Rabri Devi asked them not to rake up the issue any more. "She has agreed to move to another bungalow, despite our request to stay firmly in the 10, Circular Road. We were ready to fight the issue from the legislature to the streets. But, she is not willing to listen to us," said Yadav. The 10, Circular Road house, where Rabri Devi and her husband, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Prasad, have lived for over two decades, had become a flashpoint after the department allotted it last month to Nand Kishore Ram, the minister for dairy, fisheries, and animal husbandry. The move triggered sharp protests from the RJD, with party leaders accusing the Samrat Choudhary-led NDA government of political vendetta. Rabri Devi, who serves as leader of opposition in the state legislative council, had initially resisted vacating the premises and was served multiple notices, including one with a 15-day deadline that expired on Sunday. On May 30, she had publicly dared the administration to use force if it wished to evict her. However, indications now point to a quiet resolution. The former deputy chief minister is expected to shift to the Hardinge Road bungalow in the coming days, defusing what had threatened to become a major political confrontation. The bungalow row had seen heated exchanges, with chief minister Samrat Choudhary asserting at a public rally that the family would have to vacate the property at any cost. RJD leaders, in turn, questioned the selective nature of the drive, pointing out that several ministers and senior NDA figures - including two deputy chief ministers and the assembly speaker - were yet to move to their newly designated residences. In related allotments, the department has reassigned 5 Desh Ratna Marg - previously occupied by chief minister Choudhary before he moved to 1 Anne Marg - to health minister Nishant Kumar, son of former CM and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar. Cooperative minister Ram Kripal Yadav has been given 2 Desh Ratna Marg, which was originally meant for the speaker. Yadav has been using his assembly quota house (186) as office and residing in his personal flat in Patna, as 3 Strand Road bungalow, which was allotted to him as the minister, was not vacant. Former minister and BJP leader Niraj Singh Bablu has not yet moved out from the ministerial bungalow. JD(U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar had earlier described the controversy as an attempt by the RJD's first family to extract political mileage from a routine administrative decision. He noted that Rabri Devi already had an alternative official bungalow allotted as Leader of Opposition and that the family also owns private properties in Patna. With the latest development, the immediate tension appears to have subsided, though the episode has once again highlighted how official residences often become symbols of power and prestige in Bihar's turbulent politics. Senior officials indicated that the focus now is on ensuring a smooth transition without further escalation....