Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar seems to be learning the tricks of the “trade” from his arch-rival Rabri Devi, wife of incarcerated RJD chief Lalu Prasad.
So far, only Rabri Devi was known for her love for cows but now Kumar too has shown his fascination for rearing bovine. The otherwise hidden facet of the chief minister came to fore when he declared his assets while filing nominations for the Bihar council polls On Monday.
As per declarations made in his poll affidavit, Kumar is currently the proud owner of nine cows and seven calves. As such, the number of cows has registered a four-time increase in the past six years. In 2012, he had only two cows and two calves.
Rabri Devi, on the other hand, currently owns 41 cows and 18 calves, according to her official declarations made at the time of filing nomination papers on Friday. All these bovines are part of her dairy business which she runs to cater to the needs of her family, even as her family faces the charges of owing properties disproportionate to their known source of income.
Information shows the number of her cows has come down in recent years. Till 2010, she had more than 104 cows but now their number has come down to 59.
As per reports, she plunged into the dairy business after the Yadav couple were named accused in disproportionate assets case filed by the CBI, charging them with amassing wealth disproportionate to their known source of income, apparently to show they made all these earning from their family business of selling milk.
In 2006, the CBI court acquitted the couple in the DA case but the NDA government filed an appeal in the Patna High Court, requesting to order a fresh investigation.