1 Anne Marg gets ready to house Samrat

Former Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has vacated 1 Anne Marg for successor Samrat Choudhary, marking a significant political transition in the state.

In a quiet but significant transition of power in Bihar, former CM Nitish Kumar has moved out of the official residence at 1 Anne Marg, paving the way for his successor, Samrat Choudhary, to take over the iconic address. Kumar, who has been the face of Bihar’s governance for nearly 20 years, finally settled into his new home at 7 Circular Road this week, marking the end of a long chapter at the state’s power centre.

CM’s house at 1, Anne Marg, Patna (HT FILE)

Officials in the chief minister’s office (CMO) said preparations were underway for Choudhary’s relocation. The shifting of his belongings from the current deputy CM’s residence at 5 Deshratna Marg — previously occupied by RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav — is expected to begin after a customary ‘griha pravesh’ ritual on May 6. The date, falling on the tritiya of Vaishakha Shukla Paksh with Pushya Nakshatra, is considered highly auspicious in the Jyotish Panchang for new beginnings, promising stability and prosperity, according to astrologer Anil Datt.

A senior CMO official said while May 6 remained the tentative date, it could shift slightly change if Choudhary’s schedule got packed with cabinet expansion-related engagements. The building construction department (BCD) has already roped in a contractor to give the sprawling bungalow a fresh coat of paint and redo aesthetic upgrades.

1 Anne Marg, named after Madhav Shrihari Aney, a former Bihar governor and Constituent Assembly member, was formally designated as the state CM’s official residence in 2006. Spread over approximately six acres of land, the fortified property features dozens of rooms, including residential suites, office chambers, large meeting halls, staff quarters and spaces for security and visitors. It has long doubled as an administrative hub, complete with a dedicated area for the Janata Darbar — public hearings that Nitish Kumar famously held early in his tenure.

The campus includes fields planted with around 160 varieties of herbal and aromatic plants, adding a touch of greenery and tranquillity. Originally comprising two separate houses that were merged, the estate has witnessed Bihar’s political ups and downs — from Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi’s time, when it reportedly housed cattle, to its transformation under Nitish into a more streamlined seat of governance.

Nitish Kumar first moved here around April 2006, shortly after becoming chief minister. Barring a brief nine-month interruption when Jitan Ram Manjhi held the post, the bungalow remained his official home for nearly two decades, becoming synonymous with his long rule. He returned in 2015 after a short stint at 7 Circular Road and stayed until his recent shift following his election to the Rajya Sabha and resignation as CM in April.

On Friday, Samrat Choudhary visited Kumar at 1 Anne Marg to see him off personally. Kumar had performed a puja at his new residence on May 1 after his belongings were shifted. The 7 Circular Road bungalow, located just behind the CM’s house and close to the residences of Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi at 10 Circular Road, had been prepared with renovations to suit his needs for hosting leaders and visitors.

“The smooth handover reflects the continuity in Bihar’s NDA alliance, even as the guard changes at the state’s most prominent address. For many in Patna’s political circles, 1 Anne Marg’s transition signals not just a change of residence, but the quiet close of one political era and the beginning of another,” said political analyst Rama Shankar Arya.