BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi on Tuesday accused Nitish Kumar of misusing over Rs 5.02 crore on the maintenance of his 7 Circular Road residence which Nitish occupies as former chief minister.

"Records procured under the Right to Information (RTI) have revealed that Nitish used Rs 1.22 crore from the government exchequer on drainage, power work, cowshed, campus development and other different types of work at his 7 Circular Road home in 2015-16," Sushil told reporters on the sidelines of his janata durbar at his official residence.

The graver charge that Sushil levelled was accusing Nitish of using Rs 3.8 crore from the government coffers to set up a modern audio-visual system and communication network to enable his election strategist Prashant Kishor run 7 Circular Road as the "war room" for the JDU during the 2015 Assembly elections. This figure, Sushil said, had been "procured from government sources" because despite the RTI request the government "has refused to divulge information about the expenditure on the communication network".

Sushil added: "It is known to all that Prashant Kishor lived at 7 Circular Road to operate for the JDU during the 2015 elections."

Sushil, who was finance minister for over seven years and is known to do his home work well by meticulously procuring data and records, said: "Nitish has moved to 1 Aney Marg, the official house earmarked for the CM, following my letter to him - that I welcome. But he is still occupying the 7 Circular Road house - that is neither morally nor legally tenable."

Nitish might "give up the claim" on 7 Circular Road shortly because he has already moved to 1 Aney Marg, sources in the chief minister's office said, adding that 7 Circular Road might be converted into the office of the Bihar Vikas Mission.

JDU spokesman Neeraj Kumar described Sushil's allegation as "baseless", asserting: "Charges of misuse of funds will never stick on Nitish. His (Nitish's) life has been a saga of probity in public life."

Sushil stuck to his guns.

"My allegation is based on the RTI (request reply) and official records. Moreover, Nitish did not maintain parity with other former chief ministers in terms of spending on the decoration and refurbishing of 7 Circular Road," he said. "There are three former CMs - Jagannath Mishra, Satish Prasad and Jitan Ram Manjhi. Not to speak of decoration and refurbishing the houses allotted, Jagannath, Manjhi and Satish did not have even ceiling fans and basic furniture. They have set up these facilities on their own."

Asked about the clamour in a section of the RJD that Lalu Prasad's younger son Tejashwi Yadav should be elevated as the chief minister, Sushil quipped: "It is the right noise. Tejashwi belongs to the largest party in the ruling coalition. If his illiterate mother, Rabri Devi, adorned the CM's post for eight long years why can't Tejashwi, who can at least read and write. The RJD cadres should convince Lalu to make Tejashwi the CM. Lalu can do it in a matter of minutes."